Kings fire mascot for sexual harassment

The Los Angeles Kings on Friday fired Tim Smith, the man who played the team’s mascot, Bailey the lion, for sexual harassment.

Smith was also the senior manager for the presentation of matches and events, including managing the “Ice Crew”, which takes care of the entertainment in the team’s amphitheater.

On August 14, an ex-employee of the “Ice Crew” hired in 2018 filed a $ 1 million lawsuit against Smith. The latter allegedly committed acts of sexual harassment verbally and physically, and fired the said employee when she protested against his behavior.

According to information obtained by ESPN, a member of the organization asked her to return, which she did, before resigning since she was still the victim of harassment.

Smith, who had worked for the Kings since 2007, had been suspended since August. He was once sued in 2017 by a man who said he was shot in the butt by Smith. The incident was settled out of court in July 2018.