UPDATE as of 9:24pm EDT: Boston Celtics head coach Ime Udoka has been suspended by the team for the entirety of the 2022-23 NBA season. Joe Mazzulla has been named interim head coach in Udoka’s absence.
ORIGINAL ARTICLE as of 4:00pm EDT: The Celtics had quite the turnaround season last year, making it to the NBA finals where they lost to Steph Curry and the Golden State Warriors in six games. Much of this success was credited to the Celtics’ first-year head coach, Ime Udoka, and with just about everyone returning to the team from last year, expectations remained high for the Celtics to pick up where they left off. However, these expectations took a major hit late last night (September 21, 2022), when NBA insider, Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn), reported that Udoka was facing possible disciplinary action, including a significant suspension, for violating the Celtics’ organizational guidelines/code of conduct. Further reports have now suggested that the main reason for Udoka’s impending discipline is based on, at least in part, his consensual sexual interactions with a member of the team’s staff. This raises questions as to whether an employee can face disciplinary action from his employer for having a consensual sexual relationship with a fellow employee.
Generally, under contract law, employers can discipline their employees for poor behavior. This behavior can take various forms, but it is usually behavior that violates the employer’s organizational policies or code of conduct. Employers enforce these policies on their employees by incorporating them into their contracts. For example, an employment contract will usually state something along the lines of “the Employee shall adhere to the organization’s code of conduct at all times of employment. If the Employee fails to adhere to the organization’s code of conduct, the Employer shall have the right to discipline the Employee, up to and including suspension or termination.”
Organizational policies and conduct codes vary depending on the organization and can include any behaviors the organization deems to be unwanted, unprofessional, or contrary to company beliefs. For example, organizations can prohibit employees from smoking marijuana, harassing other employees, using company resources for personal endeavors, and more. One such activity that organizations can prohibit are workplace relationships. Many organizations prohibit employees from entering into workplace relationships because of the issues that arise from them. Understandably, organizations do not want relationship drama playing out in the workplace and affecting everyone in the organization. It is not hard to imagine an argument or break up between employees leading to the whole office picking sides and disrupting the organization’s business. What may be surprising though is that these relationships can be prohibited even when they are consensual between both parties, much in part for the same reasons noted prior.
So how does all of this effect Udoka? Well based on reports, Udoka seemingly had a consensual sexual relationship with a team staff member at some point during his tenure as head coach. While the relationship was reportedly consensual, it is highly likely that the Celtics (and the NBA) do not want these types of relationships occurring within the organization because team management is consistently in the spotlight. In other words, when there is relationship drama, it becomes a distraction in the entire organization affecting the team’s ability to win games, sell tickets, and acquire sponsorships. Professional sports teams and leagues are obsessed with their brand image and perception and relationship drama within the organization seriously detracts from the aforesaid image and perception.
Moreover, teams are likely concerned with the power dynamic between employees entering into relationships. While we do not know who the team staffer is or what their position within the Celtics is, it is likely they were not higher ranking within management than Udoka. Serious concerns arise for organizations when a higher-ranking employee begins canoodling with a lower-level employee, even when that relationship is consensual. The key to understanding why power dynamics are an issue requires understanding the history of workplace harassment. It is no secret that workplace harassment occurs and allowing consensual relationships between employees with differing power levels raises concerns of quid pro quo (latin for “this for that”) occurring. Explained differently, organizations do not want to risk situations where higher level employees tempt lower-level employees with perks, promotions, or benefits in return for sexual favors, even when the lower-level employee will gladly provide the aforementioned favors. While nothing of this level has been alleged in the present situation, these concerns are certainly at the Celtics’ (and by extension, the NBA’s) forefront in today’s social climate.
Lastly, the Celtics could be (and likely are) concerned with the public’s perception of their head coach being engaged in an affair. Udoka has been engaged to actress, Nia Long, since 2015 and has a child with her. While an employer probably does not explicitly list cheating on a significant other as a disciplinary offense in their conduct code, many codes of conduct and contracts contain something known as a “morals clause”. A morals clause is a catchall provision in a contract which is used as a means of holding the employee to a certain behavioral standard so as not to bring disrepute, contempt, or scandal to the employer and their interests. These clauses are purposefully ambiguous so that they can cover a wide swath of undesirable behavior. One such behavior that is likely included within a morals clause is cheating on a fiancé one has a child with. Turning back to Udoka, it is likely that his contract contains a morals clause, as many sports contracts do. To the Celtics, Udoka’s cheating likely falls within the morals clause because it is immoral and has the potential to bring disrepute, contempt, or scandal to the Celtics organization. The buzz around this issue within the last twenty-four hours only bolsters any beliefs that the behavior is bringing scandal to the Celtics organization. Ultimately, the Celtics will not allow Udoka’s behavior to negatively impact its relationships with its fans and corporate sponsors.
Given the foregoing information, it makes sense why the Celtics are looking at imposing a significant suspension upon Udoka. A statement is expected from the Celtics on the situation and Udoka’s discipline within the next couple of days, but insiders believe that he will miss the entire 2022-23 NBA season. Further rumors believe that either Frank Vogel or Joe Mazzulla will take over as interim head coach in Udoka’s absence. It will remain to be seen how this situation will play out and how it will affect the Celtics this season.
This story will be updated as more information becomes available.
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