ESPN and former on-air legal analyst Adrienne Lawrence reached a confidential settlement in December 2019 to end her federal sexual harassment and retaliation lawsuit, which had accused SportsCenter anchor John Buccigross of sending her unsolicited shirtless photographs and inappropriate messages. The John Buccigross settlement, filed jointly in U.S. District Court in Connecticut on December 12, 2019, resolved the case without any admission of liability by ESPN or Buccigross, and the financial terms were never disclosed.1San Diego Union-Tribune. ESPN Reaches Settlement on Harassment Lawsuit The parties said only, in a joint release through the Associated Press, that they had “resolved their dispute and agreed to move on.”2Boston.com. ESPN Settlement With Adrienne Lawrence
What Lawrence Accused Buccigross Of
Lawrence said she initially regarded Buccigross as a mentor. In her complaint, she alleged that he began sending unsolicited text messages that included shirtless photographs of himself and referred to her with nicknames like “dollface,” “#dreamgirl,” and “#longlegs.”3Yahoo Sports. John Buccigross, Matthew Berry Named in Harassment Complaints at ESPN In text exchanges later published by the Boston Globe, Lawrence replied at one point, “You need to wear clothes, sir.”4Awful Announcing. Boston Globe Publishes Full Texts Between John Buccigross and Adrienne Lawrence Lawrence also alleged that Buccigross spread rumors that the two were in a romantic relationship, which he denied.
Buccigross acknowledged sending the shirtless photos. In a statement to the Boston Globe, he said, “I considered Adrienne to be a friend. I’m sorry if anything I did or said offended Adrienne. It certainly wasn’t my intent.”3Yahoo Sports. John Buccigross, Matthew Berry Named in Harassment Complaints at ESPN
The Broader Lawsuit Against ESPN
Lawrence first filed with the Connecticut Commission on Human Rights and Opportunities in the summer of 2017, then withdrew that complaint to sue in federal court.5The Morning Call. ESPN on Defensive as Report Airs Women’s Complaints of Toxic Workplace On March 4, 2018, she filed an 85-page complaint in U.S. District Court in Connecticut, represented by the plaintiffs-side employment firm Wigdor.6New York Post. Ex-ESPN Host Files Explosive Sexual Harassment Lawsuit
The lawsuit alleged sexual harassment, retaliation, and a company culture “rife with misogyny.” Lawrence claimed that after she reported Buccigross’s conduct to human resources, ESPN reduced her on-air shifts and declined to renew her contract when her two-year fellowship ended in 2017.7USA Today. Women at ESPN Face Culture of Hostility and Sexism The complaint also named other ESPN figures, including Jonathan Coachman, whom Lawrence accused of trying to convert a mentorship offer into a personal relationship, and Bomani Jones, whom she accused of giving her “elevator eyes” in a makeup room.8Awful Announcing. Jonathan Coachman Accused of Sexual Harassment in Adrienne Lawrence Lawsuit Other allegations described male employees maintaining “scoreboards” of female colleagues targeted for sex and openly viewing pornography at work.6New York Post. Ex-ESPN Host Files Explosive Sexual Harassment Lawsuit
ESPN called the claims “entirely without merit” and said an internal investigation had found no basis for them. The network noted that Lawrence had been in a two-year talent development program and that roughly 100 other employees saw their contracts expire around the same time, arguing that her departure was unrelated to her complaints.9Forbes. ESPN Sued Over Discrimination and Sexual Harassment Allegations In December 2017, before the suit was filed, ESPN publicly released excerpts of the Buccigross-Lawrence texts, saying they showed a consensual mentor-mentee friendship; Lawrence accused ESPN of releasing “forged texts” and using bots and fake social media accounts to defame her, which the network denied.10NY Daily News. ESPN Accuser Adrienne Lawrence Fights Back After Network Releases Her Text Messages With John Buccigross
How the Case Moved Through Court
ESPN filed aggressive motions in April 2018, moving to strike large portions of the complaint as “stale gossip” and to dismiss Lawrence’s false light claim tied to the social media activity. The network specifically objected to references to older ESPN lawsuits, including a 2015 sexual harassment suit involving Chris Berman’s makeup artist, arguing those matters were “immaterial as a matter of law.”11The Hollywood Reporter. ESPN Says Legal Analyst’s ‘Stale Gossip’ Doesn’t Cut It in Court Lawrence’s attorneys countered that the historical allegations were “the opposite of stale” and were needed to show ESPN had long been on notice of a pattern.12The Hollywood Reporter. ESPN Analyst Argues Network Wasn’t Media Company Publishing Fake Texts
The judge largely sided with Lawrence on the procedural motions, denying ESPN’s motion to dismiss and its request for sanctions. She did order the removal of specific portions of the complaint drawn from a book detailing harassment at ESPN dating back to the 1970s.13Law.com. Judge Denies ESPN’s Motions to Toss Portion of Adrienne Lawrence Sex Harass Lawsuit With the core claims intact, the case headed toward discovery. It settled about a year later.
Terms of the Settlement
The December 12, 2019, filing dismissed the lawsuit on confidential terms. Neither party admitted liability, no dollar figure was disclosed, and the joint statement was a single sentence.1San Diego Union-Tribune. ESPN Reaches Settlement on Harassment Lawsuit ESPN’s earlier public position that the claims were “without merit” was never formally revisited, and the settlement included no public acknowledgment of wrongdoing.
What Happened Afterward
Buccigross was never publicly disciplined, suspended, or otherwise penalized by ESPN in connection with the allegations.14Fox 2 Now. Sexual Harassment Allegations Swirl Around ESPN He continued at the network without interruption and, in April 2026, signed a new multi-year contract extension. Entering his 30th year at ESPN, he remains the play-by-play voice of the Frozen Four, hosts the weekly hockey show The Point, anchors SportsCenter, and leads the network’s NHL Draft coverage.15Yahoo Sports. ESPN Announces Move to Retain Veteran Broadcaster
Lawrence left ESPN following the settlement. She wrote Staying in the Game: The Playbook for Beating Workplace Sexual Harassment, published by Penguin Random House in 2020 and later awarded two International Book Awards.16Ms. Magazine. The Ms. Q&A: Adrienne Lawrence Wants You to Stay in the Game She now runs Bantam Impact Consulting, serves as an expert witness in workplace misconduct cases, teaches the Law of Mass Communications at the University of Southern California, and commentates for Straight Arrow News.17Women’s Media Center. Adrienne Lawrence, Esq.