K&C Sports & Entertainment Law Weekly Roundup (September 15, 2023)

Sports:

• Men’s basketball players at Dartmouth College have filed a representation election petition with the National Labor Relations Board, asking to form a union as the board’s general counsel argues that college athletes are employees under federal labor law – Dartmouth men’s basketball players file NLRB petition to unionize – The Athletic
• A state judge in Washington granted a temporary restraining order preventing the Pac-12 conference from meeting as a board this week; ruling in favor of Oregon State and Washington State in Whitman County Superior Court after the two schools jointly filed a complaint that saw the potential of the Pac-12 meeting as a board and voting as an “imminent and existential threat” to the future of the conference – Judge grants temporary restraining order to prevent Pac-12 from meeting – ESPN
• The University of North Carolina board of trustees held an emergency meeting this week to discuss possible legal options to help wide receiver Tez Walker in his quest to play this season; the closed session was held four days after the NCAA denied Walker’s last appeal for eligibility in 2023 – North Carolina trustees mull options after Tez Walker denial – ESPN
• Disney, the parent company of channels such as ESPN and ABC, has reached an agreement with cable operator Charter Communications that will restore the channels to 14.7 million households. The new multiyear agreement arrived just hours before the 2023 season premiere of “Monday Night Football”. Disney channels had been missing from Charter Spectrum’s service since Aug. 31 – ESPN returning to 15 million subscribers as Disney, Charter settle dispute: How ‘MNF’ pushed this along – The Athletic
• Luis M. Rubiales has resigned as president of the Royal Spanish Football Federation amidst mounting pressure for his departure after he kissed a member of the women’s national team on the lips without permission during a live broadcast celebrating the squad’s World Cup victory – Spanish Soccer President Resigns Amid Kiss Controversy – Law360
• The U.S. Chamber of Commerce is asking the U.S. Supreme Court to halt the revival of a suit alleging that policies by FIFA and the U.S. Soccer Federation create a monopoly, saying that the Second Circuit’s decision to keep the suit alive “will have significant ramifications for a wide array of businesses and industry associations.” – Chamber Supports High Court Review Of Soccer Antitrust Suit – Law360
• A Cayman Islands lender and two boxing event organizers and promoters will hash out a contract dispute over a November 2022 championship boxing match in arbitration rather than in California federal court – Promoter, Lender To Duke Out $3M Boxing Row In Arbitration – Law360
• A Connecticut state court judge held that an assignment was designed as collateral security against losses and was not intended to negate all potential litigation claims, ruling that the city of Hartford cannot escape an ousted builder’s lawsuit over the construction of a multimillion-dollar minor league baseball stadium – City Must Face Ousted Baseball Stadium Builder’s Suit – Law360
• Award-winning sports journalist Jim Trotter accused two NFL team owners of making blatantly racist remarks that other league officials failed to address, as “part of a long list of cautionary tales involving the treatment of Black professionals across the NFL” included in his discrimination and retaliation lawsuit against the league – Reporter Jim Trotter Hits NFL With Bombshell Racism Suit – Law360

Entertainment:

• A longtime tennis club that built Forest Hills Stadium in Queens, New York, has sued a nearby homeowners’ association in New York state court, accusing it of running a “cynical campaign” to block concerts at the stadium and prevent pedestrian access to neighborhood streets – Forest Hills Stadium Sues Over Pedestrian Access – Law360
• Visual effects workers at Marvel Studios voted 32-0 in favor of representation by the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees, a “significant milestone” for a largely nonunion corner of the entertainment industry – Marvel Visual Effects Workers Vote To Unionize With IATSE – Law360
• An independent film production company has filed a California federal suit against a disbarred lawyer and others over allegations it was conned into investing $5 million in an action movie supposedly starring Mel Gibson – Producer Claims Disbarred Atty Lied About Mel Gibson Film – Law360
• Amazon and J.R.R. Tolkien’s estate asked a California federal judge to award over $153,000 in attorney fees for beating a fan-fiction writer’s “objectively unreasonable” $250 million copyright suit alleging they ripped off his “Lord of the Rings” sequels, days after the writer’s counsel sought to withdraw from representing him – Tolkien Trust Seeks IP Fees As Writer’s Atty Asks To Withdraw – Law360
• Filmmaker Quentin Tarantino’s expected final film and an unnamed Netflix project are the biggest winners in the latest round of $77.8 million in tax credit awards from the California Film Commission – Netflix, Tarantino Win $20 Million California Film Tax Credits (bloomberglaw.com)