Former Ring of Honor wrestler Kelly Klein filed a discrimination lawsuit against Ring of Honor and Sinclair Broadcasting, first reported by Heel by Nature.
In the suit filed this past Wednesday, the 35-year-old Klein is claiming discrimination and harassment, an unsafe work environment, breach of implied contract, unpaid royalties, violations of both state and Federal equal pay acts, and abusive discharge.
Klein alleges that ROH and Sinclair terminated her contract on December 31, 2019, “because of her complaints regarding the disparate pay for WHO female wrestlers, the lack of safety and medical protocols after Plaintiff suffered the concussion in October of 2019, and the sexual harassment at ROH.”
Listed in the suit was ROH general manager Greg Gilliand; Chief Operating Officer Joe Koff; booker, producer and trainer Hunter Johnson; and Jay Lethal (Jamar Shipman).
She is seeking $75,000.
In the suit, she details several specific incidents dating back to September 2016 where she didn’t receive proper treatment after matches in which she was injured, claiming medical personnel weren’t available. She also detailed a 2017 incident with Shipman leering at her while in a hot tub and asking about if she was staying alone in the hotel. When she brought these issues up, she said she learned in July 2018 that they were never brought up with Sinclair human resources and no investigation was done.
After four years with the company, ROH announced in November 2019 that they were not re-signing the former three-time Women’s champion which upset her and then-husband B.J. Whitmer with how it was handled. At the time, she said she was recovering from post-concussion syndrome. She hasn’t wrestled since a October 2019 title defense for ROH.
