{"id":546708,"date":"2026-04-08T04:07:46","date_gmt":"2026-04-08T04:07:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/546708\/"},"modified":"2026-04-08T04:07:46","modified_gmt":"2026-04-08T04:07:46","slug":"ny-rangers-mainstay-dancing-larry-gets-inappropriately-handsy-with-arena-staff-lawsuit-says","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/546708\/","title":{"rendered":"NY Rangers mainstay \u2018Dancing Larry\u2019 gets inappropriately handsy with arena staff, lawsuit says"},"content":{"rendered":"

A diehard New York Rangers<\/a> fan known as \u201cDancing Larry<\/a>,\u201d a perennial home-game fixture famous for gyrating wildly on the Madison Square Garden<\/a> jumbotron, may be a crowd favorite but is allegedly reviled by staffers who say he gets handsy with them during his act.<\/p>\n

In a workplace discrimination lawsuit filed Monday and obtained by The Independent, Miranda Tyson, a member of the team\u2019s \u201cBlue Crew<\/a>\u201d \u2013 a squad of entertainers who hype up the crowd during commercial breaks \u2013 claims Dancing Larry\u2019s \u201cinsistence on touching us\u201d has gone too far.<\/p>\n

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Tyson\u2019s complaint accuses Dancing Larry, a New Jersey<\/a> resident whose real name is Larry Goodman, of \u201cpervasive and severe\u201d harassment, such as pawing at the Blue Crew\u2019s heads, necks, arms, shoulders and backs, \u201ceven trying to lace his fingers with theirs during high fives.\u201d<\/p>\n

It says some reported \u201ceven more egregious conduct by Larry, including\u2026 spitting into people\u2019s mouths.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cEvery time we return from \u2018Dancing Larry,\u2019 more than one person assigned to it laments an unwanted interaction,\u201d Tyson wrote in an email to their supervisor, according to the complaint.<\/p>\n

Tyson emphasized in the message that they were not asking to be personally taken off the Dancing Larry segments, the complaint continues.<\/p>\n

\"'Dancing<\/p>\n

‘Dancing Larry’ Goodman is at the center of a harassment lawsuit filed by a member of the NY Rangers ‘Blue Crew’ (Getty Images)<\/p>\n

\u201cThat would not solve the problem \u2013 that would simply put another victim of persistent, unwelcome physical conduct that interferes with their ability to do their job in my place,\u201d Tyson wrote. \u201cI am saying that MSG has a responsibility to step in and address this textbook sexual harassment from one of its most recognizable personalities.”<\/p>\n

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But, according to the complaint, a conversation between MSG\u2019s HR department and Dancing Larry went nowhere, and he \u201conce again subjected Mx. Tyson to unwanted physical contact, placing his \u2018full palm on the small of [their] back\u2019 as they exited the performance area.\u201d<\/p>\n

When Tyson followed up with another report to higher-ups, their position on the Blue Crew<\/a> was eliminated, the complaint contends.<\/p>\n

In an email on Tuesday, an MSG spokesperson said, \u201cWe don\u2019t comment on employee or legal matters.\u201d<\/p>\n

Attorney Bhavleen Sabharwal, who is representing Tyson, declined to comment on the case beyond what is in the complaint. Dancing Larry, who is not named as a defendant in Tyson\u2019s suit, was unable to be reached.<\/p>\n

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In September 2021, Tyson earned a spot on the Blue Crew following a competitive interview and audition process, their complaint states. It says the job entailed \u201centertaining and energizing the crowd during games,\u201d involving t-shirt tosses, on-ice presentations, in-stands promotions, and appearances at off-site Rangers events.<\/p>\n

Tyson\u2019s performance reviews were uniformly positive, with supervisors using descriptors like \u201cawesome,\u201d and \u201chardworking but chill,\u201d and they were asked to work additional Knicks events during the team\u2019s 2025 playoff run, according to the complaint<\/a>, which was filed in New York County Supreme Court.<\/p>\n

\"Dancing<\/p>\n

Dancing Larry, a New Jersey resident, is famous for a song-and-dance routine he does during home games, which are featured on Madison Square Garden’s jumbotron. A new lawsuit by an arena staffer claims the fan favorite gets overly handsy with employees, but that MSG management ignored their complaints (Getty Images)<\/p>\n

At the same time, Tyson\u2019s interactions with Dancing Larry were problematic from the start, the complaint goes on. A fan-favorite since 1996, Dancing Larry is known for grooving to \u201cStrike It Up<\/a>\u201d by Black Box during the third period of Rangers home games, while the crowd cheers him on.<\/p>\n

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Shortly after getting hired, the complaint says Tyson began to hear from veteran performers about an \u201congoing problem\u201d with Dancing Larry: his \u201cinsistence on touching non-male Blue Crew members.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThis physical contact occurred both immediately before the segment began, while Blue Crew members waited on the stairs for their cue, and immediately after the segment concluded, as Blue Crew members exited the performance area and Larry returned to his seat,\u201d according to the complaint.<\/p>\n

Although Dancing Larry\u2019s alleged harassment<\/a> occurred at \u201cnearly every\u201d contest, and was \u201can open secret among Blue Crew staff,\u201d Tyson and the rest of the troupe were afraid to confront him \u201c[d]ue to [his] popularity with leadership and fans,\u201d the complaint maintains.<\/p>\n

However, by the 2023-2024 season, Tyson had seen enough. While Dancing Larry\u2019s alleged misbehavior was an \u201copen secret\u201d among employees, MSG and Rangers management had done nothing\u201d to stop it, the complaint asserts. So, on March 23, 2024, Tyson made a formal report about Dancing Larry to their direct supervisor.<\/p>\n

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The complaint notes that Tyson\u2019s goal extended beyond a personal one, in \u201can effort to rectify a systemic problem on behalf of themselves and their colleagues.\u201d For this reason, it says Tyson said they were not asking to be transferred away from Dancing Larry, but for the situation to be properly addressed for everyone\u2019s benefit. In response, management spoke to Dancing Larry about limiting his interactions with the Blue Crew to fist bumps and standard high-fives, and told Tyson that things would be different moving forward, according to the complaint.<\/p>\n

\"MSG<\/p>\n

MSG management claimed they spoke with ‘Dancing Larry’ Goodman, seen here during a 2022 playoff game between the New York Rangers and the Carolina Hurricanes, about limiting his interactions with staffers to fist bumps and standard high-fives (Getty Images)<\/p>\n

Still, Tyson claims Dancing Larry was soon back to his old tricks. A few months into the 2024-2025 season, he \u201conce again subjected Mx. Tyson to unwanted physical contact,\u201d allegedly touching the small of their back at the end of a routine, prompting Tyson to file another report with their boss. The boss passed the report on to an HR rep, who called Tyson and promised to deal with Dancing Larry, the complaint states.<\/p>\n

Instead, it says Tyson was simply barred from participating in any further Dancing Larry<\/a> segments, which the complaint claims was retaliatory and \u201cdirectly linked to Mx. Tyson’s harassment complaint.\u201d<\/p>\n

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In early August 2025, according to the complaint, Tyson was fired.<\/p>\n

\u201cAfter careful consideration, we regret to inform you that you have not been selected to return this season,\u201d her termination email read.<\/p>\n

HR told Tyson they had been let go due to a \u201cbusiness decision,\u201d and that the company \u201chad to make a lot of very difficult decisions,\u201d the complaint states.<\/p>\n

Yet, it maintains, \u201cThe true reason for Mx. Tyson’s termination was retaliation for engaging in protected activity under the New York State Human Rights Law and the New York City Human Rights Law. Defendants terminated Mx. Tyson because they complained about sexual harassment, because they objected to being retaliated against for making that complaint, and because they refused to remain silent about the hostile work environment that Defendants permitted and perpetuated at Madison Square Garden.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Tyson is now seeking compensatory damages for lost wages, loss of employment benefits and loss of future earning capacity, along with punitive damages for MSG<\/a> and the Rangers<\/a>\u2019 \u201cmalicious, willful, wanton and reckless conduct,\u201d plus pre-judgment and post-judgment interest.<\/p>\n