Kings fire man who performed as team mascot after sexual misconduct allegations
The Kings announced Friday that Tim Smith, who performed as the team mascot, was terminated following allegations of sexual misconduct.
The team had been investigating Smith’s behavior since August, when a former member of the Kings’ “Ice Crew” in-game entertainment squad alleged in a lawsuit that Smith made inappropriate comments and physical advances.
The woman, who used the alias Jane Doe to protect her identity, was reportedly suing Smith, the Kings and their owner, AEG, for more than $1 million in damages. According to a team statement, litigation is pending.
“We are not in a position to provide further details or comments on this matter due to pending litigation,” the statement read.
A former member of the Los Angeles Kings “Ice Crew” has accused the man who plays the team mascot of sexual harassment in a lawsuit.
According to TMZ, which originally reported the lawsuit, Smith harassed the woman with lewd jokes, had her fired after she made it known his alleged advances were unwanted, then continued harassing her after she returned to the team. In one instance, the suit claims Smith thrust his hips in the woman’s face.
After the lawsuit was filed, the team suspended Smith and began its internal investigation.
In 2017, Smith was accused of sexual misconduct in a separate lawsuit that claimed he groped a man’s buttocks in a Staples Center elevator.
In addition to wearing the “Bailey” lion costume on game days, Smith was listed as the team’s senior manager of game presentation and events. According to his LinkedIn profile, he’d worked for the club since 2007.
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