Former NFL enterprises director sues for age, gender discrimination

By Bill Hetherman, City News Service

Aformer director for NFL Enterprises LLC sued the organization for age and gender discrimination Monday, alleging "pervasive sexism" in the workplace and a "boys' club" mentality among male peers while attributing her 2022 layoff to retaliation for her complaints.

Jennifer Love's Los Angeles Superior Court lawsuit also alleges retaliation, a hostile work environment and failure to prevent and/or remedy discrimination, hostile work environment and retaliation. She seeks unspecified compensatory and punitive damages.

NFL spokesman Alex Riethmiller said the league had no comment on the suit.

Love was hired by the NFL in June 2003 and together with coordinating producer Eric Weinberger and president and CEO Steve Bornstein, the trio launched what was then known as NFL Network and is now known as NFL Media Group, the suit states.

"With Love's hard work and leadership, NFL Media Group grew to become the successful media platform that it is today," according to the suit.

In 2010, NFL promoted Love to vice president and coordinating director in recognition of the high level of work she performed at the NFL Media Group, the same year David Shaw was brought aboard as vice president of media operations, the suit states. In 2011, the league hired Mark Quenzel as senior vice president of programming and production.

"Shaw and Quenzel quickly gained reputations among NFL employees as misogynist men who refused to recognize or value female employees-- especially female employees with authority like Love," the suit states.

The 13th Annual Eclectic Music Festival and Arts Crawl returns to South Pasadena’s central business district on Saturday, April 29 from 3 to 10 p.m.

The free, family-friendly festival will host over 75 musical acts, an Artisans’ Alley, a vintage flea market, interactive art activities, a children’s activity zone, beer gardens, food trucks, and special activities at area merchants. Visit TheElectic.Rocks for performance schedules, a festival map, and more information on this showcase of South Pasadena’s talent and charm.

The Eclectic offers something for everyone, with 15 music stages featuring everything from jazz to indie rock, from up-and-coming singer-songwriters to LA music scene veterans. Many participating musicians are local favorites, including the Dave Tull Trio, which is kicking things off at the stage at Mamma’s Pizza at 3 p.m., and Cole Gallagher opening the stage at Old Focals at 3:30 p.m.

Chauncey Bowers returns to South Pasadena Theatre Workshop at 4 p.m., followed by David Plenn at 5 p.m. The local Chicago cover band, South Pasadena Transit Authority, rocks the Gold Line Stage at 5:30 pm.

These are just a few of the bands and musicians participating in this free, day-long festival! Music, art and commerce intertwine throughout the festival, with South Pasadena’s shops, galleries, and eateries treating visitors to pop-up galleries and special performances throughout the day. The festival’s Artisan’s Alley, a curated marketplace with 80 vendors offering unique and hand-crafted items, and the South Pas Vintage Village, featuring 25 vintage vendors, give Eclectic attendees more to explore while taking in the music.

Festivalgoers are encouraged to bike, walk, or take the Metro Gold Line to South Pasadena station at the heart of the fun. Those arriving by car can park at the Arroyo Golf Course, take the free Artmobile shuttle to Mission Street, or park in one of South Pasadena’s free public parking areas.

Shaw, Quenzel and NFL Properties LLC also are defendants in the suit. The two male executives made it clear that they did not want to have anything to do with Love and would not talk to her unless necessary and would not acknowledge her presence at meetings, the suit states. At leadership meetings, in production trucks and in control rooms, Quenzel said "hello" to everyone except for Love, who was often the only woman in the room, according to the suit.

Still, NFL Media Group, with Love's help, expanded from about 11.5 million homes in 2003 to more than 72 million homes by 2013, the suit states. Even when Quenzel subsequently became Love's direct supervisor, he would not acknowledge her and excluded her from NFL Media Group's senior-level content meetings and planning meetings in which she had previously been included, the suit alleges.

In 2018, Love reported to human resources that the NFL had an issue with "pervasive sexism" in the workplace and had a "boys' club" mentality, citing how a less qualified man was promoted over her, but no one followed up on her complaints, the plaintiff alleges.

"Instead, NFL continued to permit Quenzel and Shaw to discriminate against women and Love with impunity and to treat Love with disrespect and disregard in front of her peers," the suit states.

In early 2022, Love made comments via Bleacher Report that "We've only scratched the surface" of the problem of discrimination at the NFL and "have a long way to go," remarks of which the NFL was aware, according to the suit.

Love attended what she believed was to be a meeting about in March 2022 via zoom and was "shocked" to hear Quenzel and a human resources employee tell her that her position at NFL was being eliminated, according to the suit, which further states that neither person thanked her for her 19 years of service. Love maintains she lost her job in retaliation for her complaints.

Quenzel replaced Love with a much younger female employee whom the plaintiff herself had mentored and trained, the suit states.

Los Angeles

Pasadena

Pasadena’s minimum wage rate increasing to $16.93 on July 1

The City of Pasadena wants local employers and employees to know that the city’s minimum wage is set to increase from $16.11 per hour to $16.93 per hour for all businesses, regardless of size, on July 1. On March 14, 2016, the Pasadena City Council adopted its own minimum wage ordinance. Pasadena’s minimum wage rules were approved prior to the State of California’s action, and the state’s minimum wage does not preempt Pasadena’s minimum wage ordinance. Pasadena’s minimum wage is different from the state’s and provides for a steeper increase in the minimum wage. After a series of prescribed annual increases, Pasadena’s minimum wage is now adjusted by an amount equal to the change in the consumer price index. The new wage rate will remain in effect until June 30, 2024, when it will again be adjusted.

Duarte

Man killed in 210 freeway crash in Duarte ID'd

A man killed in a collision involving a motorcycle in Duarte was publicly identified Sunday. Nicholas Bressman was 31 years old and died from blunt trauma, according to the coroner's office. California Highway Patrol officers were called to the westbound Foothill (210)

Freeway at Buena Vista Street at 1:53 a.m. Saturday, where they found the Bressman, CHP Officer Ramon Kendricks told City News Service. He was pronounced dead at the scene. The circumstances of the crash were not immediately available.

Glendora

Off-duty LAPD officer killed in crash on 210 freeway

An off-duty Los Angeles police officer died Saturday when his 2018 Honda rear-ended a big rig on the Foothill (210) Freeway in Glendora. The officer was identified as Baldemar Sandoval, who worked out of the department's Central Division, according to a tweet from Police Chief Michel Moore. "With great sadness, I share that earlier this morning a police officer on his way home from work was involved in a traffic collision on the 210 Freeway," he tweeted. "I send my deepest condolences to his family, loved ones and friends as we mourn this tragedy.

Long Beach

Man suffers non-lifethreatening injuries in Long Beach shooting

A man suffered non-lifethreatening injuries during a shooting in Long Beach, authorities said Sunday. The shooting stemmed from an argument in the 2300 block of Pasadena Avenue that escalated into a shooting, the Long Beach Police Department reported. Officers dispatched to the scene at about 6:05 p.m. Saturday located a man suffering from a gunshot wound to the lower body, who reported that he was involved in a verbal dispute with a man that escalated into a shooting.

Orange County

Orange County

Man arrested in shooting at Santa Ana bar

A 22-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder in a shooting at a Santa Ana bar Sunday morning that left a woman in stable condition at a hospital, authorities said. The alleged assailant was identified as Armando Alvarez of Santa Ana, the Santa Ana Police Department reported. Officers dispatched at 1:05 a.m. Sunday to a report of a shooting inside the Proof Bar & Lounge at 215 N. Broadway located a woman suffering from a gunshot wound to the upper body.

Anaheim

Man killed in shooting at Anaheim fast food restaurant

A man was shot and killed Monday morning at a 24-hour Jack-in-the-Box restaurant in Anaheim. The shooting was reported at about 2 a.m. at the intersection of Brookhurst Street and Ball Road, Anaheim police Sgt. Jonathan McClintock told City News Service. Arriving officers found the man in the parking lot with at least one gunshot wound, McClintock said. He was rushed by ambulance to a hospital where he died. Officers detained two people spotted leaving the area, the sergeant said. "Their involvement in the shooting is under investigation," McClintock said.

Riverside

Riverside County

Felon charged with raping, sex trafficking minor in Hemet area

A convicted felon accused of taking a runaway girl off the streets of Hemet, plying her with alcohol and sexually assaulting her multiple times, was charged Tuesday with rape of an intoxicated person and other offenses. Frankie Lopez Frias, 39, of Valle Vista was arrested Thursday following a Riverside County Sheriff's Department investigation. Along with the rape count, Frias is charged with two counts each of sex trafficking and unlawful intercourse with a minor, as well as one count of providing a tattoo to a person under 18 years old and a sentence-enhancing allegation of targeting a vulnerable victim.

Riverside

Small plane makes hard landing in open field in Riverside County

A small private plane made a hard landing Sunday after reporting a mechanical failure, the Riverside Police Department announced. The report of a plane down was made around 10:10 a.m. in a field north of Gaylord Street and Stover Avenue in Riverside. According to the Riverside Fire Department, the plane landed approximately 500 feet from any homes or roads. Three occupants were on board and were all out of the plane walking around when firefighters arrived. Two of the passengers suffered minor injuries, and one was taken to a hospital by ground ambulance for further evaluation, according to the fire department.

Riverside

Major injuries result in car crash on 215

freeway in Riverside

One person suffered major injuries Monday morning when a car crashed into the center divider of the Escondido (215) Freeway in Riverside. The crash was reported at 2:19 a.m. on the northbound Escondido Freeway north of Central Avenue, according to the California Highway Patrol. Debris was reported across all lanes of the freeway from the damaged white Nissan sedan, the CHP said. One person was taken to Riverside Community Hospital for treatment of major injuries, the CHP said.

Corona

Authorities ID Corona driver killed in crash on Garden Grove freeway

The City of Corona has been named the 2023 Smart Cities North America Awards Winner thanks to the city’s digital engagement efforts. Corona is being recognized for its innovative use of technology in surveying and digital marketing to improve community engagement and get more resident input. “Thank you all for your support and for engaging with us to make Corona a better place to live!” the city stated in a Facebook post.

San Bernardino

San Bernardino County County high school voter education program focuses on getting young people involved in voting

There was a time when San Bernardino County teens had to wait until they were 18 to participate in the political process. Not anymore. “Today, 16- and 17-yearolds can pre-register to vote and serve as student poll workers,” said San Bernardino County Registrar of Voters Stephenie Shea. “These are great ways to nurture the interest of young people who are eager to participate in voting.” The California Education Code designates the last two full weeks in April and September as High School Voter Education Weeks. This provides an opportunity for high school students to learn more about the process of voting, find out how to be a student poll worker, get resources to host a mock student election on their campus, and learn how to organize voter registration drives on school campuses during this period.

San Bernardino

Cal State Northridge announces hiring of former CSUSB men’s basketball coach

Cal State Northridge Saturday announced the hiring of Andy Newman as its men's basketball coach after he led Cal State San Bernardino to the Division II Final Four last month. Newman succeeds Trent Johnson who resigned March 30 after posting a 14- 48 record over two seasons, including a 7-25 record in the 2022-23 season, the Matadors' second-worst on-court record over the past 60 seasons. Cal State Northridge's only worse on-court record over that span came in the 2017-18 season when it was 6-24 in Reggie Theus' final season as coach. The Matadors' nine victories in the 2014-15 season were vacated because of NCAA penalties related to academic misconduct and impermissible academic benefits for 10 players by a director of basketball operations, making their official record 0-24.

Ontario

City of Ontario highlighted in KCAL’s series ‘SoCal Spotlight’

KCAL News last Friday featured stories about our city, highlighting the consistent growth happening within the city. Ontario Mayor Paul Leon talked to KCAL reporter Sheba Turk about Ontario's rich history and deep roots, his favorite things around town and the city's new developments.

“With its booming economy and vibrant community, Ontario is quickly becoming a top destination for businesses and families alike,” the city mentioned on its Facebook page. You can watch the video on KCAL News’ YouTube channel.

M onrovia

April 6

At 12:35 a.m., the owner of a business in the 1600 block of California reported an unknown male subject lingering in the exterior of a warehouse. Officers arrived and while approaching the location saw the suspect run away out of sight. This investigation is continuing.

At 1:35 a.m., officers were dispatched to the area of Duarte and Peck regarding the earlier trespassing call. An officer saw three suspicious subjects on bicycles. He attempted to stop them but they separated in three different directions. Officers located the three subjects, two were found to be in possession of drug paraphernalia. The subjects in possession of drug paraphernalia were arrested, issued citations, and released at the scene with citations.

At 10:57 a.m. a caller reported a suspicious subject in the 600 block of South Shamrock. Officers arrived and located the subject. They discovered the individual had an outstanding warrant for his arrest. He was arrested, issued a citation, and released at the scene.

At 7:02 p.m., an officer patrolling the area of Magnolia and Primrose contacted a male adult subject. The subject had a felony warrant for his arrest. He was arrested without incident and transported for booking.

April 7

At 4:32 a.m., officers responded to the 400 block of East Cypress regarding a medical assist. They arrived on the scene and shortly after

Blotters

the subject stopped breathing. The subject was later pronounced at the scene.

At 1:53 p.m. a witness reported a traffic collision in the area of Eighth and Duarte. Officers and Paramedics responded to check on the well-being of the occupants. One of the drivers was transported to a local hospital for injuries. This investigation is continuing.

At 6:36 p.m., a caller reported seeing two male adult subjects fighting in the 900 block of South Monterey. Officers responded but were unable to locate the subjects. This investigation is continuing.

At 7:13 p.m., loss prevention for a business in the 500 block of West Huntington reported a customer shoplifted from the store three hours prior to him calling us. This investigation is continuing.

At 11:52 p.m., an officer was patrolling the 600 block of South Mountain when she saw a motorist traveling at a high rate of speed. After stopping the driver, she discovered he was heavily intoxicated. A DUI investigation was conducted and he was arrested and transported to the MPD jail to be held for a sobering period.

April 8

At 2:46 a.m., residents in the 200 block of East Cherry reported two adult males had been fighting outside. Officers arrived and found both subjects were brothers. The victim refused to prosecute and was transported by ambulance to a nearby hospital for minor facial injuries. This investigation is continuing.

At 7:21 p.m., a witness in the 400 block of Linwood reported seeing smoke coming from an apartment building. Officers and MFD responded and located the smoke. The apartment was unoccupied. The fire was quickly extinguished by MFD without incident. This investigation is continuing.

At 7:31 p.m., employees of a business in the 500 block of West Huntington reported a male subject put on new clothes and locked himself in their bathroom. Officers arrived and were able to convince the subject to exit the bathroom. The store refused to prosecute for trespassing, however, the subject had a warrant for his arrest and provided false personal identifying information to officers. He was arrested and taken into custody.

At 9:44 p.m., employees of a hotel in the 900 block of West Huntington reported a male subject who was not a guest of the hotel was using their guest computer room to print copies of people’s driver's licenses. Officers responded and located the male with a female subject in the parking lot. The photocopies of various driver's licenses were located along with drug paraphernalia. The subjects were arrested and taken into custody.

At 10:41 p.m., a caller reported a male and female fist fighting in the 500 block of California. Officers arrived and found the two adult subjects, a mom and her son, had stopped fighting. Both refused prosecution against the other and refused to be treated by paramedics for minor visible injuries. This investigation is continuing.

April 9

At 9:01 a.m., officers responded to the 500 block of East Cherry regarding a family dispute. The wife was upset with her husband and started throwing items out of the house. When the husband started retrieving his property, the wife punched him. The wife was arrested and taken into custody.

At 5:49 p.m., an injury traffic collision was reported in the area of California and Duarte. One of the parties fled the scene, leaving their license plate behind. This investigation is continuing.

At 10 p.m., a victim in the 1100 block of South Fifth reported someone damaged his apartment door. Officers arrived and checked the area for the suspect but he was not located. This investigation is continuing.

April 10

At 2:44 a.m., a father in the 200 block of East Cherry called to report that his juvenile son left the home with a backpack. The area was checked but he was not located. He was entered into the Missing Person System.

At 8:14 a.m., officers responded to the 200 block of East Cherry regarding a returned missing juvenile. When officers arrived at the residence, there were three additional juveniles. One of the juveniles was a previously reported missing juvenile. Both juveniles were removed from the Missing Person System.

At 9:56 p.m., paramedics requested officers respond to the 800 block of West Walnut regarding a deceased male subject. The next of kin coordinated with a mortuary to have the deceased male transported from the scene.

Arcadia

April 2

At 9:45 a.m., an officer responded to the 00 block of Las Tunas Drive regarding a battery investigation. The officer discovered two local transients engaged in mutual battery resulting in a 42-year-old male displaying a knife and a 52-yearold male hitting the other man in the head with a large drill bit. Both suspects were arrested and transported to the Arcadia City Jail for booking.

April 3

At 12 p.m., an officer responded to Sephora, located at 400 S. Baldwin Ave., regarding a petty theft report. The officer determined a 20-year-old male from Temple City stole nearly $200.00 worth of merchandise. The suspect was arrested and transported to the Arcadia City Jail for booking.

April 4

At 8:06 a.m., an officer responded to the intersection of Rhodes Street and Las Tunas Drive regarding a vehicle burglary report. Sometime during the previous night, someone smashed the front window and fled with the victim’s identification badge and building keys.

April 5

At 8:50 p.m., an officer responded to the 100 block of East Huntington Drive regarding a battery investigation. The officer determined the female victim had been pushed into a pole by an unknown suspect. The suspect is described as a Hispanic male in his early 20s, riding a black bicycle and wearing black clothing.

April 6

At 2:17 a.m., an officer responded to the 300 block of West Longden Avenue regarding a traffic collision. Upon contacting the driver, the officer discovered the 22-year-old male from Arcadia was under the influence of alcohol. The driver provided a breath sample which indicated his blood alcohol was in excess of the legal limit. He was arrested and transported to the Arcadia City Jail for booking.

At 6:13 p.m., an officer responded to 7-Eleven, located at 102 E. Huntington Dr., regarding a battery investigation. The officer discovered the suspect, a 39-year-old local male transient, punched and bit the store clerk for no apparent reason. The suspect was arrested and transported to the Arcadia City Jail for booking.

April 7

At 7:21 a.m., an officer responded to the 100 block of West Le Roy Avenue regarding a stolen vehicle report. Sometime between April 6 at 10:30 p.m. and April 7 at 7:15 a.m., someone stole the victim’s Honda Accord.

April 8

At 1:23 a.m., an officer responded to The Shops at Santa Anita, located at 400 S. Baldwin Ave., regarding a battery report. The officer discovered a dispute between a husband and wife that resulted in the husband hitting the female victim. The 32-year-old male from Rosemead was arrested and transported to the Arcadia City Jail for booking.