Nuggets' former mascot sues NBA team's parent company, alleging discrimination
On Aug. 7, 2023, the state of Colorado enacted the POWR (Protecting Opportunities And Workers' Rights) Act.
Among its provisions, the law "eliminates the ability for an employer to assert that an individual's disability has a significant impact on the job as a rationale" as a reason not to "accommodate an individual with a disability who is otherwise qualified for the job."
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Six days later, the Denver Nuggets fired Drake Solomon, the man beneath the furry costume of their mascot, Rocky the Mountain Lion.
The fine print of the POWR Act became essential reading this week, when Solomon sued the Nuggets' parent company, Kroenke Sports and Entertainment (KSE). He is reportedly alleging KSE tendered him a severance package that violates the Colorado law enacted one week earlier.
According to multiple reports Wednesday, Solomon was terminated after he was diagnosed with avascular necrosis, recovered from hip replacement surgery, and required to try out against other prospective mascots in order to keep his job.
Not only did Solomon complete the tryout, his lawsuit claims, he was asked by KSE to show other applicants how to safely dunk in costume during the tryout.
Court documents reviewed by DenverSports.com show Solomon was only earning $70,000 a year as a base salary for performing as Rocky, with additional appearance fees ranging on average from $15,000 to $20,000 annually.
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