National Basketball Association

Ex-Knicks exec criticizes Garden for hiring Thomas

Published May. 7, 2015 4:45 p.m. ET

foxsports

NEW YORK (AP) The woman once at the center of a sexual harassment lawsuit involving Isiah Thomas is criticizing Madison Square Garden for rehiring the former NBA star.

Anucha Browne Sanders won an $11.5 million suit against Thomas, the Garden and chairman Jim Dolan in 2007. Thomas, the former Knicks president and coach, was hired this week by Dolan as president of the WNBA's New York Liberty.

Browne Sanders is a former Knicks executive and now the NCAA vice president for women's basketball championships.

She says in a statement that ''those who do not learn from the past will be condemned to repeat it.'' She adds that the Garden is attempting to ''rewrite history'' by saying what happened to her was simply ''allegations'' and unrelated to Thomas.

The Women's Sports Foundation wrote an open letter Thursday to the WNBA Board of Governors, urging it not to approve Thomas as part-owner of the Liberty.