Michael Bidwill's former personal assistant files wrongful discharge suit

Another former Cardinals employee is making allegations against the team and its owner, Michael Bidwill.

Bidwill's former personal assistant, Brittany Neuheisel, has filed a wrongful discharge lawsuit against Bidwill and the Cardinals.

Last year, former Cardinals personnel executive Terry McDonough won $3 million in arbitration for the team's over-the-top P.R. assault after McDonough filed a wrongful discharge claim. (Separate litigation was thereafter filed.)

Neuheisel's 11-page complaint, filed Thursday in the Maricopa County Superior Court and obtained by PFT, includes counts for constructive discharge, wrongful discharge, discrimination based on age, gender, and religion, and intentional infliction of emotional distress.

The introduction to the lawsuit alleges that Neuheisel "was continuously tormented for failing to disavow members of her own family and for refusing to participate in illegal conduct," that Bidwill "unmercifully harassed Plaintiff in an effort to drive her to leave the Cardinals," and the he wanted to replace her with someone "Young, Beautiful, and Athletic."

Neuheisel worked for Bidwill from January 2019 until January 2025. The complaint is riddled with allegations from Neuheisel against Bidwill.

She claims that he is in a "state of constant conflict with his family members," and that Bidwill involved her in his "petty battles." The complaint details a meeting between Bidwill and his niece regarding her college studies. Neuheisel alleges that she was instructed to remove the niece's personal effects from her vehicle during the meeting, so that the car (which had been given to her by Bidwill) could be repossessed by him and sold. Neuheisel contends that she was instructed to videotape the car being loaded onto a flatbed, so that the video could be played for his niece.

Neuheisel also claims that Bidwill's dog became a tool for bullying her. She contends that, when she was told to go to Bidwill's home to open the "doggy door" for the 59-pound pit bull, it attacked her. He later told her to take the dog to a park while he interviewed current G.M. Monti Ossenfort in early 2023.

She contends that Bidwill repeatedly accused her of being an "enabler" for her adult children and grandchildren. Two of her children and three of her grandchildren live with her; Bidwill (per the complaint) "repeatedly told Plaintiff that she needed to 'kick out' her daughter and grandchildren from her home." He allegedly "insisted" that she see the team's psychologist, so that she could "learn how to deal with her children and grandchildren."

Perhaps most significantly, as it relates to the potential for the NFL getting involved, Neuheisel alleges that Bidwill instructed her to place false information on "complicated federal and international disclosures relating to Bidwill’s travel by private airplane." He also allegedly told her to ship a firearm by FedEx, directing her to ignore any restrictions that potentially applied.

Neuheisel alleges that, as a practicing Catholic, she objected to providing false information. Bidwill allegedly said in response, “Do it and then go to confession!”

Neuheisel alleges that Bidwill eventually decided to replace her with someone "Young, Beautiful, and Athletic." She claims that, once he made that decision, "Bidwill verbally abused Plaintiff almost every day."

The final straw apparently came last month, when the Cardinals loaned their home stadium to the Rams, who had been displaced from L.A. for their Wild Card playoff game by raging wildfires. Neuheisel alleges that Bidwill purposely shunned her when introducing Commissioner Roger Goodell to employees working in Bidwill's suite at the stadium. Later, Bidwill allegedly directed a tirade at Neuheisel when Rams owner Stan Kroenke didn't personally visit the suite to thank Bidwill for his hospitality.

She thereafter resigned, convinced that Bidwill used "outrageous conduct" to get her to quit.

The Cardinals will surely deny the allegations, strongly. They'll attack her decision to resign as unreasonable. But hopefully, given their misadventures with McDonough, they won't issue a lengthy statement that makes unfounded personal allegations as an act of retaliation for daring to use the legal system as a way to pursue her grievances against Bidwill and the team.