Isiah Thomas maintains his innocence in '07 sexual harassment case

Isiah Thomas will deny any culpability to the WNBA Board of Governors for his part in a 2007 sexual harassment case.

Recently named the president of the New York Liberty, his ownership interest in the WNBA team depends on approval from the league, WNBA president Laurel Richie said in a statement on Tuesday.  

"If people want to continue to believe in the falsities, I can't speak to that. I can only speak to the facts," Thomas told ESPN Radio's "Mike & Mike" on Wednesday.

Former team executive Anucha Browne Sanders brought a lawsuit against Madison Square Garden during Thomas's disastrous two-season tenure as head coach of the New York Knicks in 2007, alleging that she received unwanted advances from the coach. A jury found that Browne was entitled to a $11.6 million in damages from MSG and chairman James Dolan after finding that MSG improperly fired her for complaining about Thomas's behavior.      

Browne Sanders settled the case with MSG and Dolan for $11.5 million that year. 

Thomas, who maintained his innocence throughout the 2007 proceedings, continues to do so.  

"I was not liable or personally held for anything, so the jury found no findings," said Thomas. "... Anyone who's vetted this has looked at it, and has come out and found, as the jury found there were no findings in terms of Isiah Thomas."

MSG has released a statement on the settlement with Browne Sanders in support of Thomas. 

We did not believe the allegations then, and we don't believe them now. We feel strongly that the jury improperly and unfairly held Isiah Thomas responsible for sordid allegations that were completely unrelated to him, and for which MSG bore responsibility. In fact, when given the opportunity, the jury did not find Isiah liable for punitive damages, confirming he did not act maliciously or in bad faith. We believe Isiah belongs in basketball, and are grateful that he has committed his considerable talent to help the Liberty succeed.

Thomas made it clear that the judgment was levied against MSG and not himself as an individual, so therefore it should not be brought against him in his new role with the Liberty.  

"I was president of the New York Knicks, I was not the president of Madison Square Garden," said Thomas. "Madison Square Garden is a corporation ... so when the jury had an opportunity to find, they find Madison Square Garden (responsible)."