Ex-minor league umpire sues MLB, says he was harassed by female ump, fired for being bisexual man

By RONALD BLUM
AP Baseball Writer

NEW YORK (AP) — A fired minor league umpire sued Major League Baseball on Wednesday, claiming he was sexually harassed by a female umpire and discriminated against because he is male and bisexual. Brandon Cooper, an umpire who worked in the Arizona Complex League last year, filed the suit in federal court in Manhattan against MLB and PDL Blue Inc., an affiliated entity. He says because MLB hasn’t had a big league female umpire it “implemented an illegal diversity quota requiring that women be promoted regardless of merit.” Cooper alleged a hostile work environment and wrongful termination and/or retaliation because of gender and sexual orientation under New York state and city law.