Judge Dismisses Defamation Lawsuit Against Arizona Cardinals

Federal court rules claims by former executive Terry McDonough and his family must be resolved through arbitration, dismissing related allegations.

A federal judge dismissed defamation claims filed by former Arizona Cardinals executive Terry McDonough, his wife Lynette, and daughter Caroline against the team, its law firm, and PR firm.
Judge Dominic Lanza upheld an arbitration clause in McDonough’s employment contract, requiring his claims to be resolved outside of federal court.
The lawsuit followed a 2024 arbitration ruling where McDonough was awarded nearly $3 million after the Cardinals were found to have made defamatory statements about him.
The judge also dismissed Lynette and Caroline McDonough’s claims, stating their allegations lacked sufficient legal grounds but left open the possibility for them to refile with more detailed evidence.
The Cardinals expressed satisfaction with the dismissal, acknowledging their initial statements about McDonough were overly harsh but maintaining that his employment-related claims had been resolved appropriately.