The Sacramento Kings are facing a lawsuit from a former member of their medical staff over multiple alleged offences.
Crystal Lee, who worked as an assistant athletic trainer for Sacramento from 2022 to 2025, has sued the organization and senior director of athlete health Jaspreet Randhawa, alleging pregnancy discrimination, sexual harassment, retaliation and wrongful termination, according to ESPN.
Lee claims her role within the organization began changing after she became pregnant, including being removed from road games and eventually losing her athletic training responsibilities.
The lawsuit alleges Randhawa responded to news of Lee’s pregnancy by telling her, “You’re f—ed,” before later saying her life “is ruined after you have kids.”
It also claims Randhawa created a workplace culture where “if you were not working around the clock, you were not committed.”
Lee was taken off road games during her second trimester in February 2023 before being moved into an “administrator, health & performance/assistant athletic trainer” position that April. She alleges she was told the move would only be temporary.
After returning from maternity leave, however, Lee claims she remained off the road before having assistant athletic trainer removed entirely from her title in September 2024.
Lee eventually raised concerns that she was being “excluded and stripped of her athletic training responsibilities because she had a child,” according to the lawsuit.
The complaint also alleges Lee spoke with Kings general manager Scott Perry about the situation in May 2025 and was told “complainers will not be tolerated.” Perry is not named as a defendant.
Lee brought her complaints to Sacramento’s vice president of human resources the following week. She was fired the next month over an alleged failure to meet performance expectations, according to the suit.
The Kings have strongly denied Lee’s allegations.
“The Sacramento Kings categorically deny these allegations and reject the characterization of the organization and its workplace reflected in these claims made by a disgruntled former employee,” Kings attorney Alexis Gabrielson told ESPN. “The Kings take allegations of discrimination and harassment seriously and are committed to maintaining a workplace where all employees are treated with dignity and respect. The organization intends to vigorously defend against these claims through the legal process and will not comment further on the pending proceedings.”
READ MORE: Tyrese Maxey Makes His Stance Clear on 76ers’ Hierarchy