Former female Mavericks executive speaks out on team's sexual harassment culture

Melissa Weishaupt, a former marketing manager for the Dallas Mavericks, wants to make her position quite clear.

On Monday, Weishaupt went on the record in an op-ed for Sports Illustrated to discuss her experiences dealing with the franchise's reported culture of sexual harrassment.

Here's an excerpt from her story:

"Yes, I was harassed while I worked for the Mavericks. But I am using my name now because I will never say that I am a victim. I am tougher. I am wiser. I am my own advocate."

Last month, Sports Illustrated published a lengthy story about how several of the team's employees allegedly committed inappropriate, and in some cases, criminal acts of sexual behavior in the workplace. Approximately six women, speaking under the protection of anonymity, detailed their accounts to the publication.

Weishaupt is the first of those women to reveal her identity. She also criticized owner Mark Cuban for denying he knew about any of the supposed illicit activities.

Here's Weishaupt's response to Cuban:

"I’m using my name because I’m still not sure the Mavericks get it. Since the story broke, owner Mark Cuban has repeatedly claimed he oversaw only the basketball side of that franchise, not the business side.

"Sorry. It doesn’t work that way. You own 100 percent of the team, Mark. The buck stops with you. When I worked on the Mavs’ business side, all marketing, promotional and broadcasting decisions went through you. Nothing was decided without your approval.

"Now you want to help? We are not fragile flowers. We don’t long for counseling. (As for that hotline: I’ve spoken with a dozen current and former team employees; we have no idea what this is or how to find it.) We want equitable pay. We need to be treated with respect. When deserved, we ought to be given the same promotions as our male counterparts."

This story was originally published March 20, 2018 at 11:54 AM with the headline "Former female Mavericks executive speaks out on team's sexual harassment culture."