The lawsuit between Charles Oakley and James Dolan is a federal civil case Oakley filed in September 2017 after security guards forcibly removed him from Madison Square Garden that February. Nearly a decade later, it is still active. Oakley’s assault and battery claims against Dolan and MSG remain pending in the Southern District of New York after being dismissed three times at the trial level and revived twice by the Second Circuit. Along the way, Oakley has been hit with a $642,000 sanctions order for destroying evidence, and every attempt to broker peace between him and Dolan has failed.
What Happened at Madison Square Garden in 2017
On February 8, 2017, Oakley attended a Knicks-Clippers game seated a few rows behind Dolan’s courtside seat. Security approached him and said he had to leave because “someone ordered you to leave.”1ESPN. Former New York Knick Charles Oakley Arrested After Being Escorted From Madison Square Garden A physical struggle broke out near the tunnel. Oakley was handcuffed on the ground. Police said the then-53-year-old punched three MSG employees during the removal; Oakley maintained he acted in self-defense.
Court filings later alleged that Dolan personally directed the ejection, pointing to video showing Dolan signaling to a security guard seconds before guards moved in, then giving a thumbs-up afterward.2Wigdor Law. Charles Oakley’s Ejection From Madison Square Garden Was Directed by James Dolan, Attorneys Say Oakley was charged with three counts of misdemeanor assault and one count of criminal trespass. Those charges were formally dismissed and sealed on February 2, 2018 after he completed a six-month adjournment in contemplation of dismissal.3ESPN. Criminal Case Against Charles Oakley Officially Dismissed
What Oakley Sued For
Oakley filed his civil suit in September 2017 in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, docketed as Oakley v. MSG Networks, Inc., No. 17-cv-6903.4SDNY Blog. Oakley v. MSG Networks, Opinion Granting Summary Judgment The original complaint named Dolan and Madison Square Garden and alleged defamation per se, libel, slander, assault, battery, false imprisonment, abuse of process, and denial of a public accommodation under the Americans with Disabilities Act and state and city human-rights laws.5Wigdor Law. Charles Oakley James Dolan Defamation Lawsuit
Only two claims are still alive: assault and battery. The defamation, false imprisonment, and ADA claims were dismissed in 2020 and never revived. What remains is the narrow question of whether the security guards used excessive force when they took Oakley to the ground.
Why the Case Has Dragged On for Nine Years
The lawsuit has bounced between the trial court and the Second Circuit repeatedly.
First Dismissal, First Revival
On February 19, 2020, U.S. District Judge Richard J. Sullivan dismissed every claim, remarking that the litigation appeared to be more of a “public relations campaign” than a legal case.6WSLS. Charles Oakley Wins Right to Jury Decision on Assault Claim In November 2020, the Second Circuit affirmed the dismissal of the defamation, false imprisonment, and ADA claims but revived the assault and battery claims, finding Oakley’s allegation of excessive force enough to survive dismissal.7ESPN. Charles Oakley Civil Lawsuit Following MSG Run Dismissed
Summary Judgment, Second Revival
On November 8, 2021, Sullivan granted MSG summary judgment on the surviving claims. He relied on surveillance footage and fan recordings, concluding the video “conclusively” showed Oakley was given ample chance to leave, initiated contact with guards, and was not subjected to unreasonable force under New York law.4SDNY Blog. Oakley v. MSG Networks, Opinion Granting Summary Judgment Sullivan also denied Oakley’s request to add Dolan individually as a defendant.
On May 5, 2023, the Second Circuit vacated that ruling too. The panel held that the video did not “blatantly contradict” Oakley’s account and that Sullivan had exceeded his discretion by cutting off discovery before ruling. The existing footage was of poor quality and could not resolve the factual disputes as a matter of law.8Wigdor Law. Oakley v. MSG, Second Circuit Order The appellate court also directed Sullivan to reconsider adding Dolan as a defendant.
Where the Case Stands Now
In April 2024, Oakley filed an amended complaint pressing assault and battery against both MSG and Dolan.9ABC7 New York. MSG Counters Oakley Claim, Says No Invite to Knicks Games MSG said the case “should be behind all of us at this point” and predicted a third dismissal. As of February 2026, Oakley is opposing another motion to dismiss.10Law360. Oakley Fights to Keep MSG Case Afloat Amid Fee Dispute
The $642,000 Sanction for Deleted Text Messages
The case took a serious turn against Oakley when it came out that thousands of text messages from before February 2022 had been lost. AT&T records showed he had sent and received 7,770 texts in the three weeks after the ejection alone.11Sportico. Charles Oakley MSG James Dolan Lawsuit Deleted Texts His legal team discovered the gap in July 2024. Oakley had traded in his phone without imaging it, backing it up to the cloud, or asking his carrier to preserve data.
In July 2025, Sullivan granted MSG’s motion for spoliation sanctions. He called Oakley’s conduct “stunningly derelict as to evince intentionality” and noted that AT&T records contradicted Oakley’s shifting accounts, showing he had upgraded phones seven times in eight years. Sullivan concluded Oakley acted with the “intent to deprive MSG of his text messages.”12eDiscovery Today. Stunningly Derelict Attempt to Preserve Text Messages Leads to Sanctions for Charles Oakley
Sullivan did not dismiss the case. Instead, he ruled that if the case reaches trial, MSG may tell the jury about the missing messages, and the jury may draw an adverse inference against Oakley. He also ordered Oakley to pay MSG’s reasonable attorneys’ fees and costs on the spoliation motion.
MSG asked for roughly $1.5 million. U.S. Magistrate Judge Robyn F. Tarnofsky cut that figure by capping paralegal rates, excluding vague time entries, and setting attorney fees at $200 per hour. On October 31, 2025, she ordered Oakley to pay $642,337.65, made up of $604,315 in attorney fees and $38,022 in costs.13Front Office Sports. Charles Oakley Owes MSG $642K in Legal Fees Oakley’s attorney, Valdi Licul, said the fee award will be appealed and that MSG is “not entitled to any recovery.”14New York Post. Ex-Knicks Star Charles Oakley Must Pay MSG $642K for Court Battle Over His Ejection
The MSG Ban and Why the Case Hasn’t Settled
Oakley was banned from Madison Square Garden immediately after his arrest. Less than a week later, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver brokered a meeting at league offices in Olympic Tower on February 13, 2017. Oakley and Dolan met in person; Michael Jordan joined by phone.15Washington Post. Michael Jordan, Adam Silver Help Mediate the Knicks’ Ongoing Charles Oakley Mess Both men reportedly apologized, and the formal ban was lifted the next day.16ESPN. Charles Oakley Ban on New York Knicks Lifted, Wants Apology Oakley refused to return as Dolan’s guest, saying the organization also owed fans an apology.
In May 2024, Oakley said an MSG lawyer contacted his attorney to suggest it was “a good time” for him to come back. MSG denied any invitation was made.17ABC News. MSG Counters Oakley Claim of Invite to Knicks Games Oakley rejected the overture anyway, saying he would not enter the building while litigation was pending and demanding Dolan “be man enough to say, mistakes happen. And he made one.”18ESPN. Oakley Stands Firm Nixing Invite to MSG, Gets Dolan Apology
Silver has said he and Jordan tried again to broker peace and failed, acknowledging the situation is “wrapped up in litigation.”19Yahoo Sports. Charles Oakley James Dolan Feud Continues During Knicks NBA Finals Run Despite Peace Efforts by Michael Jordan, Adam Silver Oakley disputes that characterization, saying “I haven’t talked to James. I’ve been to court with James, and we tried to settle it and he said no.”20Marca. Charles Oakley Calls Adam Silver Liar Over Comment Involving Michael Jordan During the Knicks’ 2026 NBA Finals run, Oakley attended road games but stayed away from MSG.21Fox News. Michael Jordan, Adam Silver Failed to Convince James Dolan to End Charles Oakley Ban From MSG In a radio interview, he called Dolan “a bully” who is “running a plantation.”22New York Magazine. James Dolan’s Unlikely Redemption Arc The next move belongs to Judge Sullivan, who must decide whether the assault and battery claims survive a third motion to dismiss.