Fired Black assistant to Benson gets $384K

The New Orleans Saints have been ordered by an NFL arbitrator to pay more than $384,000 to a fired personal assistant to late team owner Tom Benson.

Documents obtained by The Associated Press show that the Saints were ordered to pay Rodney Henry $100,000 plus interest for unpaid overtime and $94,300 plus for the violation of a clause in his employment contract stating he was entitled to a termination fee if anyone other than Benson himself fired Henry.

Arbitrator Harold Henderson also ordered the Saints to pay Henry’s attorneys’ fees of $190,000.

Henry’s initial lawsuit in November 2015 accused the Saints not only of failing to pay overtime, but also of firing him for complaining that Benson’s wife, Gayle, made racially insensitive comments about him. Henry, who is Black, has not been awarded any damages for claims of racism.

Before the matter was referred to arbitration, which is not public, the Saints denied all allegations.

The Associated Press reported that Henry was Benson’s personal assistant dating back to the 1990s, serving in that role during two stints spanning close to 25 years.

This article originally published in the August 6, 2018 print edition of The Louisiana Weekly newspaper.