Second umpire sues MLB, alleging retaliation for sexual assault complaint

A second minor league umpire has joined a lawsuit against Major League Baseball, claiming he was fired after reporting being sexually assaulted by a female umpire.

Brandon Cooper, an umpire who worked last year in the minor league Arizona Complex League, sued MLB and PDL Blue Inc., an affiliated entity, last April in federal court in Manhattan.

Alexander Lawrie joined the suit Tuesday as an additional plaintiff in an amended complaint.

Lawrie says he was a minor league umpire from 2019 until he was fired last April 1. He said MLB cited “performance issues.”

Lawrie said in the lawsuit that he was sexually assaulted on March 17 by Gina Quartararo, a fellow referee, following an Umps Care charity event. Lawrie claims he was fired in retaliation for reporting the allegation to the Minor League Umpires Association, the union representing him.

Cooper said in the original suit that Quartararo taunted him with homophobic slurs and rude remarks because he is male and bisexual.

The Associated Press does not typically identify people who say they have been victims of sexual assault, but Cooper’s publicist consented to his name being used.

MLB and Quartararo declined to comment.

In the original lawsuit, Cooper alleged a hostile work environment and wrongful termination and/or retaliation based on sex and sexual orientation under New York State and City law. MLB is headquartered in New York. The amended complaint adds an additional claim of violation of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

The lawsuit says the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission issued a right to sue to Cooper on July 11, and Lawrie filed a right to sue application on September 26.

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