An Illinois Circuit Court judge dismissed all of former White Sox trainer Brian Ball’s remaining claims against the team related to Ball’s termination in 2020, the Sox said in a statement Thursday.
In his February response to the club’s motion to dismiss, Ball voluntarily dismissed all claims against general manager Rick Hahn personally, as well as two of Ball’s original five claims against the club, the Sox said.
With the ruling, the Court dismissed the remaining three claims against the club, “thereby closing the matter unless there is an appeal of the court’s ruling.”
Ball, a 20-year employee of the White Sox and former head athletic trainer, filed a lawsuit last May against the Sox and Hahn, claiming he was unlawfully fired on Oct. 31, 2020, because of his sexual orientation, age and disability. He also claimed he was defamed by the team and suffered emotional distress.
Ball, 51, was a 20-year employee of the Sox who served as their assistant trainer during the team’s 2005 World Series title run and was promoted to head trainer in 2018.
“The Chicago White Sox organization categorically denies the baseless allegations made by former Head Trainer Brian Ball in his lawsuit against the club,” the Sox said in a statement last May.
