PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. -- The New York Mets have settled a lawsuit filed by a senior vice president who was fired by the team during last season.
Leigh Castergine, who oversaw ticket sales for the Mets, was fired on Aug. 26, 2014, after nearly four years of employment. She alleged in a civil lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court in Brooklyn that she was harassed by chief operating officer Jeff Wilpon, and that her complaints to human resources went unheeded. Castergine claimed in the lawsuit that Wilpon fired her because he was "morally opposed" to her being pregnant and unmarried.
Terms of the settlement were not disclosed.
"The parties have decided to resolve this matter, which has brought more attention to the workplace environment for women in sports and will result in the organization being more attentive to the important issues raised by women in sports," the parties said in a joint statement. "Additionally, we are both committed to the further development and encouragement of female executives in our industry. Both sides have agreed to have no further comments."
A trial had been expected in 2016.
The original complaint alleged Wilpon "frequently humiliated Castergine in front of others by, among other things, pretending to see if she had an engagement ring on her finger and openly stating in a meeting of the team's all-male senior executives that he is 'morally opposed' to Castergine 'having this baby without being married.'"
The Mets responded at the time that "the claims are without merit."