Appeals Court upholds firing of Sacramento broadcaster Grant Napear

The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals has upheld the decision of Bonneville International Corp. to fire longtime Sacramento sports broadcaster Grant Napear. The ruling affirms a lower court's dismissal of Napear’s wrongful-termination lawsuit regarding a 2020 tweet.

Napear, a former play-by-play announcer for the Sacramento Kings and host on KHTK radio, was terminated following a social media exchange with former NBA player DeMarcus Cousins. After Cousins asked for Napear’s take on the Black Lives Matter movement, Napear responded with “ALL LIVES MATTER … EVERY SINGLE ONE!!!”.

The appellate panel determined that Napear’s contract required him to maintain a high standard of care on social media, as his conduct could impact the company’s reputation. The judges concluded that his tweet fell within his professional capacity due to his celebrity persona.

Napear’s attorney, Matthew Ruggles, has expressed disappointment, arguing that the tweet was a matter of personal expression made on a private account and should have been decided by a jury. The legal team is now considering requesting a rehearing en banc or petitioning the U.S. Supreme Court to review the case.