Published Oct. 28, 2025 07:56AM EDT
Seppinni Law Files Sexual Harassment Complaint Against NHL, Anaheim Ducks
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
SEXUAL HARASSMENT SUIT: NHL EXECUTIVES FRAMED IT STAFFER TO SILENCE SEXUAL HARASSMENT VICTIM, LAWSUIT ALLEGES
A complaint filed in SDNY accuses NHL’s Chief HR Officer of illegally firing and blacklisting a victim and witness in an active sexual harassment proceeding.
NEW YORK, Jan. 6, 2026 — A federal lawsuit filed today against the National Hockey League (NHL), the Anaheim Ducks, and NHL Chief Human Resources Officer Patrice Distler alleges a coordinated conspiracy to silence a sexual harassment victim.
The complaint, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York by Seppinni Law, alleges that Ms. Harris, a rising IT analyst, was subjected to a “frat house” culture of unchecked sexual harassment at the Anaheim Ducks. After Harris fled the Ducks to take a new job at the NHL’s headquarters in New York, the suit alleges that top executives there colluded to destroy her career.
The lawsuit alleges that once NHL executives learned Harris was a witness in an active sexual harassment arbitration against the Ducks, they manufactured a pretext to fire her. The complaint also alleges that NHL Chief Human Resources Officer Patrice Distler personally intervened, falsely accusing Harris—a junior IT staffer who’d been assigned an IT ticket to work on Distler’s email account—of improperly accessing Distler’s email account to justify Harris’s immediate termination.
According to the lawsuit, Harris discovered pornography on a colleague’s work computer, a violation that was ignored by management, and women were told they dressed like “whores.”
The lawsuit asserts claims for discrimination, sexual harassment, retaliation, defamation, and blacklisting under federal, state, and city laws. Harris seeks punitive damages.
Harris is represented by Shane Seppinni and Megan Jones of Seppinni Law.
Quote from Shane Seppinni (lead counsel for Ms. Harris)
“The NHL has a sexual harassment problem. But rather than fix it, they fired my client. It’s unacceptable. I look forward to holding the NHL accountable for what its employees and franchise did to my client.”
About Seppinni Law
Seppinni Law is a premier employment law firm specializing in high-stakes litigation involving sexual harassment, discrimination, and corporate misconduct.
Media Contact
Please reach out to Shane Seppinni with any questions (917) 397-2847 or shane@seppinnilaw.com.
The full complaint for Harris v. NHL, et al. may be found here.
