Former Bowlero Executive Seeks Court’s Permission to Countersue Former Employer for Extortion and Retaliation
Former Bowlero chief information officer, Thomas Tanase, has filed a proposed countersuit in Virginia federal court alleging extortion and retaliation by his former employer after an executive threatened to report him to the FBI if he didn’t admit to sharing company secrets. Tanase’s allegations come after he and dozens of others filed discrimination claims with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, claiming they were fired based on age or retaliation, according to company filings.
Bowlero, the world’s largest owner and operator of bowling centers, denies the claims. The company, which went public in 2021, has seen significant growth in revenue and owns major bowling brands like AMF and Lucky Strike.
Tanase, who started with Bowlero in 2001 and rose to the C-suite, alleges he was fired in May because of his age. He filed a discrimination claim with the EEOC in August. Bowlero claims Tanase resigned and later tried to get severance pay.
In the proposed countersuit, Tanase claims that Bowlero’s executive vice chairman, Brett Parker, threatened to report him to the FBI if he didn’t confess to allegations of accessing company emails. Tanase recorded a conversation with Parker in which the executive allegedly pressured him to admit to wrongdoing.
Bowlero says the conversation was an attempt to resolve the situation and denies any wrongdoing. The company filed a lawsuit against Tanase in July, alleging he hacked into the CEO’s email account.
Tanase is seeking court permission to countersue Bowlero and Parker, with his attorneys seeking damages for extortion and retaliation. Bowlero has requested the court deny the request to countersue and sanction Tanase.
The case highlights ongoing tensions between Tanase and Bowlero, with both parties standing firm in their positions. The legal battle is ongoing, with both sides preparing for further litigation.