An accomplished marketing executive applied for a position at the Basketball Hall of Fame but was rejected in favor of a far less qualified male candidate because, as numerous insiders warned, the organization’s head ”does not hire women,” according to an eye-popping lawsuit filed in Massachusetts federal court.
Tracy Shirer, who has nearly three decades of experience, “was really surprised and dismayed when she didn’t get the job,” her attorney Harold Lichten told The Independent, describing the winning candidate’s credentials as “far below” those held by his client.
Shirer, 55, served for years as a volunteer at the hall’s annual Enshrinement Weekend, during which a new crop of hardwood legends is inducted, her complaint states.
“During these events,” it explains, “the Hall of Fame… entrusted [Shirer] with critical tasks, including escorting and assisting inductee Bill Russell and his family among other VIPs, donors, and guests.”
She “received praise from Hall of Fame staff regarding her professionalism and positivity, and she was invited back to participate in the Enshrinement Weekend year after year with increasing responsibilities,” the complaint continues.
It says that Shirer, who has worked in the field since 1998, including an extensive stint as VP of marketing and communications at the nonprofit Connecticut Science Center, “also assisted the Hall of Fame with marketing… providing communication templates, best practices, and ideas.”
But when Shirer threw her hat in the ring last year to become the Hall of Fame’s head of marketing, president and CEO John Doleva first expressed concern that she would spend too much time “gossiping” with a friend on the staff, then ultimately brought on a man whose last job was in online sports betting.
“Several employees at the Hall of Fame… expressed to [Shirer] that she would not be selected for the position due to her sex, and that female candidates were never seriously considered,” the complaint contends.
Lichten said Shirer got involved with the hall while living in the area, and became intimately familiar with its inner workings, which he said “made it all the more surprising what happened.”
In an email, Hall of Fame attorney Meaghan Murphy told The Independent, “The Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame denies any wrongdoing in this case. While the Hall of Fame does not typically comment on pending litigation, it should be noted in this specific case that the individual bringing the action was not an employee and did not work at the Hall but instead was an applicant for a position and was not hired for that position. The Hall intends to vigorously defend itself within the court process and will not be making further comment.”
A message sent to Doleva seeking comment went unanswered.
Lichten declined to make Shirer available for an interview.
Shirer applied in July 2024 for a position as the VP/director of marketing, according to her complaint, which was filed on September 19.
“She applied for this position notwithstanding the fact that several people in outside organizations, as well as several individuals employed by the Hall of Fame, informed her that John Doleva… does not hire women,” the complaint states.
It says the imbalance can be seen clearly in the makeup of the hall’s eight officers, of whom only one is a woman.
Undeterred, Shirer interviewed with Doleva in August 2024, according to the complaint.
“During the interview, Doleva asked [Shirer] about her former boss at the Connecticut Science Center,” the complaint says. “When [Shirer] noted that it makes her emotional thinking about her former boss due to their positive relationship, Doleva responded by asking if she was crying.”
Later in the interview, the complaint alleges, Doleva “expressed concern about [Shirer] fraternizing/gossiping with her friend, a woman who currently works at the Hall of Fame.”
A few days later, Shirer sat for an interview with four high-ranking Hall of Fame officials, according to the complaint. It says she was subsequently informed by a well-placed hall employee that two of the panelists recommended her for the position.
“Despite this positive feedback, the Hall of Fame offered the position to… a less qualified male candidate,” who worked in insurance marketing, the complaint states.
However, the candidate didn’t take the job, which was then offered to “another less qualified male candidate,” who worked in the gambling sector, the complaint asserts.
Shirer, according to the complaint, was the only candidate with experience working at a nonprofit and at a museum, the only one with experience marketing to families, and had “superior experience” in e-commerce, ticketing, and licensing, in promoting facility rentals for events, in pitching media, in retail, in digital fundraising, and in PR crisis management.
In early October 2024, Shirer filed a grievance with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and the Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination, bringing her lawsuit last Friday.
The Hall of Fame’s “refusal to hire [Shirer] on the basis of sex” constitutes unlawful discrimination under both state and federal law, according to the complaint.
Shirer’s case will now enter the discovery phase, and both sides will subpoena from the other, take depositions, and so forth, according to Lichten.
He recommended that job-seekers always make sure to keep contemporaneous notes if they’re being interviewed, “and they suspect something is up.”
Shirer is now seeking compensatory, punitive, and emotional distress damages, plus attorneys’ fees and court costs, plus interest.
