Court Rules Richard Sherman’s Casino Trash Talk Wasn’t Extreme or Outrageous, Just Rude

The dispute between football player Richard Sherman and Tonya Hale, a casino worker at The Cosmopolitan, Las Vegas, Nevada, returned to court this week, with Hale losing her appeal over verbal abuse.

If you're not familiar, the conflict began in 2018 at The Cosmopolitan, where Hale, a table games supervisor, experienced two instances of verbal tirades from Sherman, a five-time Pro Bowl selectee and Super Bowl champion.

The disputes started when Sherman was stopped by Hale from exceeding the table’s bet limits. His response? A lengthy verbal assault lasting up to 25 minutes.

Apparently, the casino staff's response was minimal. No one intervened during Sherman's outburst against Hale, and he left voluntarily. It was only after the event that the casino’s vice president of table games viewed the incident on video and decided to exclude Sherman for the remainder of the evening.

The Follow Up

A month after the initial incident, Sherman returned and unleashed a similar tirade against Hale. Following these events, casino patrons and Hale's coworkers voiced their concerns about Sherman, calling his actions inappropriate. Meanwhile, the shift manager observed the episode but decided no action was required.

Hale argued that Sherman's actions caused her emotional distress, and that the casino's non-response had created a hostile work environment.

Judge's Say

U.S. District Court Judge James Mahan disagreed on Monday, stating that while Sherman's conduct was “insulting and perhaps even threatening,” Hale had not proven it was “extreme or outrageous”.

While Hale’s claim against her employer was also dismissed, she continues to work at The Cosmopolitan, but now with a higher salary and more control over her work environment.

Both Sherman and The Cosmopolitan have yet to comment publicly on the incident or the court's decision.