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Former Salt Lake Stallions employee is suing the AAF for pay and benefits after league folded

(Francisco Kjolseth | The Salt Lake Tribune) A few fans enjoy a sunny day at Rice Eccles Stadium as the Salt Lake Stallions host the Memphis Express of the Alliance of American Football in Salt Lake City on Saturday March 16, 2019. The AAF suspended football operations April 3, 2019, just a few weeks from the end of its inaugural season.

  | April 12, 2019, 1:55 a.m.
| Updated: 1:31 p.m.

A former vice president for the Salt Lake Stallions has filed a class action lawsuit against the Alliance of American Football league, arguing it violated federal law in how it disbanded the company and that it owes its employees pay and benefits.

Richard Muirbrook was hired as the vice president of ticket sales and services for the Stallions on Sept. 10, 2018. He and more than 90 others were left without work when the company announced it was folding on April 2, according to the lawsuit.

The lawsuit, filed Wednesday in Utah’s U.S. District Court, joins at least two others filed against the AAF after it announced it was suspending football operation, according to ESPN.

The decision to shutter the league came after the NFL Players Association rejected AAF majority investor Tom Dundon’s proposal to allow NFL players to participate in the AAF.

The AAF — which included teams in Salt Lake City, Atlanta, Birmingham, Memphis, Orlando, Fla.; Tempe, Ariz.; San Antonio and San Diego — issued a statement April 5, saying, “We understand the difficulty that this decision has caused for many people and for that we are very sorry. This is not the way we want it to end, but we are also committed to working on solutions for all outstanding issues to the best of our ability.”

Muirbrook’s attorneys argue that giving employees only one-day notice that they would be laid off violates the federal Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification — or WARN — Act. The act mandates any company with more than 100 full-time employees must give workers written notice of their termination within 60 days of their last day of work.

“The lack of notice of termination caused significant harm to Plaintiff and Claimants who were unable to properly plan for a job transition or make plans for the unexpected and immediate lack of income caused by the reckless actions of the Company,” the lawsuit says.

The lawsuit is asking the league to pay employees wages, 401K contributions and other benefits for the 60-day period after their official termination.