Thomas Tanase, a former executive at Bowlero, has requested permission to countersue his former employer for extortion and retaliation. This request comes after an executive at Bowlero allegedly threatened to report Tanase to the FBI if he did not confess to spilling company secrets, according to a transcript of a recorded call. The allegations by Tanase, filed in a proposed countersuit in Virginia federal court, follow discrimination claims filed by him and dozens of others with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, alleging they were fired based on their age or in retaliation. Bowlero denies these claims.
Bowlero, the world’s largest owner and operator of bowling centers, has seen significant financial success, nearly tripling its annual revenue between 2021 and 2023 to $1.06 billion. Tanase, who started in the company’s information technology department in 2001, worked his way up to the C-suite and claims he was fired in May because of his age. In response, he filed a discrimination claim with the EEOC. Bowlero alleges that Tanase resigned and later sued him, accusing him of accessing the CEO’s email account and refusing to return company-issued devices. Tanase denies these claims and is now seeking to countersue Bowlero and an executive for extortion and retaliation.
In a recorded phone call, Bowlero’s executive allegedly pressured Tanase to confess to accessing the CEO’s emails and sharing information with the EEOC’s attorney and CNBC. Tanase repeatedly denied these allegations, stating he had not shared any information with anyone. Bowlero maintains that the company was extending an “olive branch” to Tanase during the call. Tanase’s proposed countersuit accuses Bowlero of suing him in retaliation for refusing to sign a termination agreement that required him to waive his right to pursue legal action against the company.
Bowlero has been under investigation by the EEOC since 2016, with more than 70 former employees claiming they were unlawfully fired for being too old. The EEOC found reasonable cause in many of these complaints, including Tanase’s, while others remain under investigation. Bowlero denies the discrimination claims and asserts they are without merit. The company previously failed to settle the complaints with the agency, and it now faces the possibility of a federal lawsuit. Tanase’s attorney believes the EEOC’s findings contradict Bowlero’s assertion that the counterclaims are frivolous.
The dispute between Tanase and Bowlero centers around whether he resigned or was fired from his position at the company. Tanase claims he was subjected to micromanagement and harassment leading up to his separation. The EEOC’s determination ruling in favor of Tanase’s age discrimination claims cited unwarranted hostility and criticism from his supervisor. Bowlero alleges that Tanase threatened to seek revenge on the company and its CEO after his separation. The company claims Tanase demanded a $1.2 million severance payment to refrain from seeking revenge, which Bowlero refused. Tanase denies these allegations, and the legal battle between him and Bowlero continues.
