The Australian basketball great loses his court case against the Sydney Flames after being suspended as head coach over allegations of bullying and misconduct.

Australian basketball legend Shane Heal has lost the lion’s share of his lawsuit against the Sydney Flames, with a judge finding he was suspended as head coach of the WNBL club due to complaints made by players.

Heal took the WNBL club to the Federal Court, seeking orders preventing his dismissal as well as sanctions, including employee rights.

He launched the legal action, alleging labor law violations, after being suspended as head coach of the club in January last year.

The club said it had launched an investigation into Mr Heal’s conduct after players approached management with complaints of harassment and concerns about his behaviour.

The Flames suspended Mr Heal and commissioned an independent investigation into the allegations before the matter went to the Federal Court last year.

Heal was a very talented player, enjoying stints in the Australian NBL and the NBA in the United States, while playing for the Australian Boomers.

Sydney Flames players had made complaints about Heal’s behavior and conduct, leading to his resignation by the WNBL club.

Heal had claimed he was suspended after exercising his rights at work and the complaints had been used as a “smokescreen”, the court was told.

Delivering his judgment on Friday afternoon, Judge John Halley said he was satisfied that the action taken against Heal was due to complaints made to senior management by players.

“Contrary to the argument put forward by Mr Heal, I accept that the decision to suspend Mr Heal as head coach of the team was taken because of the complaints that players had made about him to of the senior management of the Sydney Flames, and not because of his exercise of any alleged right to work,” Justice Halley said.

In January last year, following a loss to Perth, the group of players – minus Heal’s daughter Shyla Heal – had dinner together during which three players expressed that they “were struggling or upset by Mr Heal’s conduct towards them,” the court heard.

Sydney Flames captain Keely Froling took the players’ complaints on their behalf to club president Victoria Denholm.

Captain Keely Froling agreed to call president Victoria Denholm and lodge a complaint on behalf of the players, the court heard.

Ms Froling expressed a number of complaints to Ms Denholm about Heal, including one of her teammates having a panic attack and another suffering mental health problems.

Flames general manager Christopher Pongrass met with Ms Froling “during which she gave examples of a number of instances where Mr Heal had acted towards players in an intimidating or belittling manner”, the judge said Halley.

A day later, Mr. Pongrass received a call from a player agent, who managed two Flames players, raising complaints.

Mr Heal was called to a meeting where he was informed of the allegations and that an independent investigation would be carried out.

He was terminated with pay while the investigation took place.

Heal was resigned with pay by the Sydney Flames while they investigated player complaints against the former head coach.

Heal, pictured right tagging Australian basketball legend Andrew Gaze, claimed he was suspended for exercising certain rights at work.

The club received the report, prepared by a lawyer, in early February last year, and was asked to justify why his employment should not be terminated, prompting him to initiate proceedings judicial.

Heal denied any wrongdoing in a statement last year.

Heal claimed he was suspended for exercising certain workplace rights, including making complaints about the team’s schedule and disagreements over player signings, including their failure to make an offer to the team. American star Jackie Young.

However, Judge Halley said the club was prevented from recruiting Ms Young due to salary cap constraints and Mr Heal would not have been “genuinely surprised or upset”.

Judge Halley said the club management’s decision to suspend Heal was “due to complaints made by team members regarding Mr Heal’s behavior and conduct”.

He said he did not accept that the “players'” complaints were a “smokescreen” put up by the Sydney Flames to cover up the real reason for his suspension.

Heal claimed the players’ complaints were a “smokescreen” to cover up workplace violations.

Heal’s daughter Shyla also played for the Sydney Flames, but has since left the club to join AZS UMCS Lublin of the Polish Basket Liga Kobiet for the 2023-2024 season.

He called the complaints “objectively serious.”

“They were primarily put forward by the team captain during an hour-long meeting to senior management on behalf of the team. They concerned four players and included claims that players were in trouble, one player had a panic attack and another player was struggling with mental health issues,” Judge Halley said.

Heal also brought action under the Fair Work Act, claiming the club failed to provide him with employment records, failed to provide him with pay slips and breached his contract by failing to pay commission on earnings of sponsorship to the financial backers he had brought to the club. Flames.

The Flames admitted to not providing him with pay slips

Judge Halley ruled that the club had breached his contract by failing to pay him his share of sponsorship income, saying Heal was entitled to commission for bringing two sponsors to the club.

He also ruled in favor of the Sydney Flames and dismissed Mr. Heal’s lawsuit.