Inside the Blackhawks Scandal: Shocking Discrimination Claims Rock NHL Team

When the locker room drama spills over into the boardroom, you know it’s more than just game-day tension. Anthony Filomena, once the public relations manager for the Chicago Blackhawks, is now firing off a lawsuit against the team, claiming discrimination and retaliation fueled by his sexual orientation. What makes this even stickier? The timing—Filomena was dismissed a mere day after pushing back against criticism that followed his interview with Outsports, an LGBTQ+ sports outlet. And here’s where it gets even more layered: Filomena insists he had the green light from none other than team chairman Danny Wirtz to speak openly about LGBTQ+ matters, supposed to lift the team’s image, not sink it. The Blackhawks dispute the claims, pointing to “multiple instances of misconduct” over several months—but Filomena’s camp argues the reasons are smoke and mirrors, a classic cover-up. As the legal battle heats up in the Northern District of Illinois, it’s clear this is more than a simple HR spat—it’s a fight over inclusivity, justice, and what accountability looks like in one of hockey’s biggest franchises. LEARN MORE

A former Chicago Blackhawks employee is suing the team for discrimination and retaliation, alleging he was treated differently by his supervisor for being gay, and then wrongfully fired shortly after being interviewed by Outsports, a website covering LGBTQ+ issues and individuals in sports.

The lawsuit, filed Thursday on behalf of Anthony Filomena, said the Blackhawks’ former manager of public relations dealt with “hostile and aggressive actions” from his supervisor, who was hired about a year into Filomena’s two-year stint with the Blackhawks. It then states that Filomena was fired one day after complaining to his supervisor that he was being unfairly criticized for his interview with Outsports, an interview for which Filomena said he had direct approval from team chairman and owner Danny Wirtz.

Outsports published the interview on April 29, 2024. Three days later, the lawsuit alleges, Filomena was criticized by another senior employee, who told him the department “was very angry about it.” Filomena said he requested permission from Wirtz in a text message earlier in the month after Outsports reached out to him, and that Wirtz approved, stating the article would boost the team’s reputation in the LGBTQ+ community.

The suit says Filomena then told his supervisor that he believed the criticism stemmed from “discrimination based on (Filomena’s) sexual orientation.” The next day, May 3, 2024, Filomena was fired. The lawsuit says that Filomena had a “perfect rating” on his performance review a month earlier, and that he “met or exceeded performance expectations.”

In response to the lawsuit, the Blackhawks said Filomena was fired for other reasons.

“Mr. Filomena was terminated for cause due to multiple instances of misconduct over a period of six months,” the Blackhawks wrote in a statement. “He received multiple written communications outlining expectations including a formal, final written warning prior to his dismissal. His termination was solely due to continued misconduct and disregard for our company policies.”

The lawsuit argues the team’s “stated reasons for termination — alleged policy violations and performance deficiencies — were either fabricated, exaggerated, or not the actual basis for the decision.”

“The proximity between (Filomena’s) complaint about discrimination and his termination is direct evidence of retaliation,” the lawsuit alleges.

Filomena’s lawsuit alleges that other employees who were not openly gay, “who engaged in comparable conduct, were not terminated.” He is suing for back pay with interest, front pay, lost benefits, attorneys’ fees, and compensatory and punitive damages. The situation, the suit says, has caused Filomena mental anguish, emotional distress, humiliation, degradation and loss of enjoyment of life.

The suit was filed in the United States District Court, Northern District of Illinois, Eastern Division.

A former Blackhawks player, identified as John Doe, is also suing the team for its alleged failure to act upon sexual-assault allegations against former video coach Brad Aldrich during the 2010 Stanley Cup playoffs. The team previously settled a high-profile lawsuit from former player Kyle Beach, who alleged Aldrich sexually assaulted him during the 2010 playoffs.

Wirtz and the Chicago Blackhawks Foundation are being sued by a former independent contractor as well, who has accused them of breach of oral contract, fraud and violating the Gender Violence Act, among other counts.

(Top photo: Luke Hales / Getty Images)