Denver Nuggets superfan Vicki Ray is suing team owner Kroenke Sports & Entertainment after the company banned her from games and revoked her season tickets over claims she grabbed a referee and hit a player in the face.
In a lawsuit filed Monday in Denver District Court, attorneys for Ray claimed the company violated the Colorado Consumer Protection Act, breached a contract with Ray, failed to act in good faith and inflicted emotional distress by revoking her tickets and banning her from games for the season.
Ray, 72, is seeking unspecified monetary damages and other relief, including an injunction that prevents Kroenke from enforcing the ban and restores her season tickets, according to the complaint.
Ray’s decades-long fan relationship with the Nuggets drew a spotlight after she received a phone call and letter from Kroenke over claims of inappropriate contact with a referee and player in February.
While the complaint does not refer to specific incidents, Ray told The Denver Post she was accused of grabbing a referee and hitting a player in the face by Ball Arena officials at games in early February.
Ray denied those claims to The Post and denied any misconduct in the complaint filed Monday.
Kroenke officials did not cite any specific incidents in the phone call or letter banning her for the season and have refused to meaningfully discuss the issue with Ray, according to the complaint.
Instead, attorneys for Ray from the Greenwood Village firm Baker Law Group claim Kroenke Sports & Entertainment banned her because they wanted to resell her season tickets at a higher price, suggesting “a potential manipulation of ticket availability and pricing.”
Ray experienced a “notable decline in her mental and physical health” because of stress and isolation, along with being subjected to “unwarranted scrutiny and speculation within the fan community and the public at large,” the complaint states.
Attorneys for Ray also disputed that a video provided by Kroenke Sports & Entertainment as evidence of Ray’s misconduct shows any wrongdoing.
A Kroenke spokesperson could not immediately be reached for comment Monday, but company officials previously said Ray’s tickets were revoked “due to repeated violations and warnings of the NBA’s Code of Conduct as well as Ball Arena’s Code of Conduct,” despite repeated warnings.
This is a developing story and may be updated.
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