A former assistant athletic trainer for the Sacramento Kings has filed a lawsuit against the NBA franchise, alleging pregnancy discrimination, sexual harassment, retaliation, and wrongful termination.
Crystal Lee, who was employed by the Kings from 2022 to 2025, claims she was demoted during and after her pregnancy. According to court documents, Lee alleges that Jaspreet Randhawa, the Kings' senior director of athlete health, made disparaging remarks upon learning of her pregnancy in early 2023, stating, "You're f***ed," and that her life "is ruined after you have kids."
Lee asserts that the team restricted her role in February 2023, during her second trimester, by barring her from traveling with the team for road games. Two months later, she was formally demoted to an administrative position. Although she was informed this change was temporary, Lee states that upon her return from maternity leave, the Kings hired a new full-time trainer and continued to keep her from traveling for away games, while also disregarding her requests to do so.
In September 2024, the lawsuit claims, Lee was demoted again when her title was changed, effectively preventing her from performing her trained duties as an athletic trainer for the team's players. The filing also references negative interactions Lee experienced with head coach Doug Christie during his time as an assistant coach, though Christie is not named as a defendant.
According to the suit, when Lee raised concerns in April 2025 about being excluded due to having a child, executives suggested she seek training positions with other professional teams or their G League affiliate. During a meeting in May 2025, general manager Scott Perry allegedly told Lee that "complainers will not be tolerated" within the organization. Perry is also not named as a defendant.
Lee formally reported her grievances to Stacy Wegzyn, the Kings' vice president of human resources, the following week. The suit alleges that in June 2025, Perry and Wegzyn terminated Lee's employment, citing failure to meet performance expectations, such as not updating expense reports.
The Sacramento Kings have denied all allegations. In a statement to ESPN, the Kings' attorney Alexis Gabrielson stated, "The Sacramento Kings categorically deny these allegations and reject the characterization of the organization and its workplace reflected in these claims made by a disgruntled former employee. The Kings take allegations of discrimination and harassment seriously and are committed to maintaining a workplace where all employees are treated with dignity and respect. The organization intends to vigorously defend against these claims through the legal process and will not comment further on the pending proceedings."
Lee's attorney, Robert King, told ESPN that previous efforts to resolve the matter with the Kings, including mediation, had been unsuccessful.