Federal Judge Gives Marriott A Deadline To Answer Michael Irvin's Request For Alleged Misconduct Video
A federal judge on Feb. 24 gave Marriott International until Tuesday (Feb. 28) at 5 p.m. to respond to former Dallas wide receiver Michael Irvin’s request to turn over surveillance video and other information at the center of his $100 million defamation lawsuit against the hotel chain, The Dallas Morning News reports.
However, the order from District Judge Amos Mazzant III doesn’t mean the video must be produced by Tuesday afternoon. It only means that Marriott must submit a response.
Irvin sued after the hotel alleged that he behaved inappropriately toward an unnamed female employee on Feb. 5 at the Renaissance Phoenix Downtown Hotel. The nature of Irvin’s alleged misconduct remains unknown.
Marriott objected to a similar request when a Collin County, Tex., court ordered the hotel chain to respond to a motion from Irvin’s legal team for the same video and information, including the accuser’s name.
Instead of sharing the video by the Feb. 20 deadline, Marriott filed a 10-page objection, as well as filing documents to move the case from state court to federal court.
In moving the case to federal court, Marriott appears to seek an advantage. Irvin sued the hotel chain in a state court that would likely favor his case, according to NBC Sports’ Pro Football Talk. Marriott’s legal maneuver shifts the lawsuit to federal court that would likely favor its interests.
In its answer, Marriott told the Collin County court that Irvin’s request was “overly broad and unduly burdensome,” among other issues it cited in a document the Morning News obtained.
“Defendant further objects to this Request to the extent it seeks information protected from discovery under the attorney-client privilege or the work product doctrine,” Marriott added. “Respondent will not produce such information.”
Irvin was in Arizona for media week coverage of Super Bowl LVII. Following the complaint, NFL Network removed Irvin from its media team. “Irvin’s status with the network beyond this week is unclear,” an NFL Network spokesman told The Washington Post.
In court documents, Irvin said he met the unnamed woman when she introduced herself in the hotel lobby. He stated that witnesses of the encounter have described the interaction as harmless.
He was escorted off the Renaissance grounds and banned from all Marriott properties.
Irvin told Dallas radio station KRLD and the Morning News that he had a brief conversation with her that lasted between 45 seconds and one minute, but “there was no sexual wrongdoing,” The Post reported.
“We shook hands. Then I left. … That’s all I know,” Irvin recalled, adding that he didn’t remember the meeting at first because “I had a few drinks, to tell you the truth.” Irvin said he went to his hotel room and slept.
Phoenix police did not receive a complaint about Irvin’s alleged behavior immediately after or in the days following the incident, the Morning News reported.
Mazzant said he will “take up the merits of the motion” himself if Marriott denies or does not respond by the Tuesday deadline, the Morning News reported. That’s the most probable path for Irvin to obtain the video and other alleged evidence against him.