Detroit Tigers employee reportedly cut loose after exposing misconduct

The Detroit Tigers organization is facing renewed scrutiny this week, about six months after eight men employed by the team’s parent company and broadcast partners were tied to harassment toward women within the workplace. The Athletic, which first reported the allegations in September, followed up on Tuesday, March 24 , with new information suggesting that red flags may have been ignored, and that one unnamed former "longtime Tigers employee" who raised concerns in a Feb. 9 email to a supervisor, was fired.

The report said Ryan Gustafson, president and CEO of Ilitch Sports + Entertainment − the combined business operation for the Tigers and the NHL's Detroit Red Wings − had defended the organization while also "encouraging transparency and accountability. " However, after a Tigers employee wrote Feb. 9 in a roughly 2,000-word email to a supervisor, according to The Athletic, "why he believed interim vice president of game presentation and fan experience Matt Coy was eroding morale, creating conflicts and making some employees feel uncomfortable," the employee was let go days later.

[ First look at projected Tigers starting lineup – with Kevin McGonigle ] This raises questions about how much transparency and accountability there actually has been from the Tigers, since parting with six of the eight men tied to last year's allegations. Coy is not a Tigers employee, the club told the Free Press. He is instead, The Athletic reported, vice president of experience for a company called Cuento, a San Diego, California-based marketing agency used by IS+E and other MLB teams for work for both the Tigers and the Red Wings.

IS+E pays Cuento for work in game presentation, marketing and video production. "IS+E is committed to maintaining a professional, respectful work environment," the Tigers told the Free Press, repeating the statement sent to The Athletic, on Tuesday. They added that "upon learning of a concern involving an individual employed by a longtime outside vendor, we immediately investigated the matter and promptly notified the vendor.