A federal judge in Arizona has dismissed the defamation claims brought by former Cardinals executive Terry McDonough, along with his wife and daughter, against the NFL team, its legal counsel, and its public relations agency.
Judge Dominic Lanza also approved the motion for arbitration filed by the law firm and PR firm, which effectively moves McDonough’s allegations out of the federal courtroom.

In a prior ruling, an NFL arbitrator had directed the Cardinals to pay McDonough nearly $3 million after determining that the team had made “false and defamatory” remarks about him to the media.
This decision by Jeffrey Mishkin, who was appointed as an arbitrator by NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, found that the Cardinals had defamed McDonough through a statement that accused him of “extreme domestic violence” and suggested he had “abandoned responsibility” toward his daughter while also financially cutting her off.

McDonough’s various claims regarding unlawful retaliation, intentional emotional distress, and invasion of privacy were also dismissed by Judge Lanza. He initially sought damages amounting to $125 million.

After the initial arbitration ruling, McDonough and his family responded by filing a lawsuit that alleged defamation and other related grievances against the Cardinals, their law firm Gallagher & Kennedy, and the public relations firm Counterpoint.

However, Judge Lanza concluded that these claims were baseless.
“We are satisfied with today’s ruling from the federal court in which all claims made by the McDonoughs against the team were dismissed,” stated a spokesman for the Cardinals.

Terry McDonough spent a decade in the Cardinals’ front office, where he held the position of vice president of player personnel for several years.