Work Comp Is Referee's Exclusive Remedy for Assault

The Minnesota Court of Appeals refused to let a basketball referee sue his employer for a courtside assault during a recreational game, ruling that he failed to satisfy a narrow legal exception that requires an attack to be wholly unrelated to employment. The assault exception to exclusivity applies only when a third party intentionally injures a worker for reasons that have nothing to do with the job. Because the altercation stemmed from Philip Ayeni's officiating duties and there was no evidence that his attackers were motivated by personal reasons unrelated to his employment, the Minne...