Thomas Tanase, a one-time chief information officer with the world’s largest owner and operator of bowling centers, Bowlero Corporation, has asked for judicial permission to countersue the organization for extortion and retaliation. The move is in response to a threat made in a taped conversation where an executive allegedly threatened to involve the FBI if Tanase didn’t own up to leaking company secrets.
This development follows Tanase’s previous accusation of age discrimination against Bowlero, a claim he joined dozens of others in filing with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC). Bowlero, which became a public company in late 2021 and saw its annual revenue nearly triple from 2021 to 2023, categorically denies these allegations.
Tanase, who joined Bowlero’s IT department in 2001 before eventually ascending to the executive suite, was terminated in May, which he contends was age-related. In response to these allegations, Bowlero contends that Tanase chose to resign of his own volition but later changed his mind upon realizing he would not receive severance pay.
In a recent counterpoint, Bowlero has accused Tanase of hacking into the CEO’s email account, duplicating company documents onto a personal drive, and refusing to surrender company-issued equipment. As part of the unfolding disputes, the executive in question, Brett Parker, threatened to involve the FBI if Tanase failed to confess to the unauthorized email access. This, along with divulging whatever corporate intelligence he may have shared with the attorney of the EEOC complainants and CNBC.
Despite this escalating confrontation, Bowlero has presented the conversation as a gesture of goodwill extended to Tanase in exchange for his admission of guilt to the hacking allegations.
Tanase argues that the charges Bowlero has levied against him are retaliatory measures stemming from his refusal to sign a termination agreement which required him to abdicate his legal pursuit against the company. His legal team is presently seeking approximately $8 million in damages related to the extortion claim and an excess of $27 million pertaining to retaliation.
In the latest twist, Bowlero has petitioned the presiding judge to deny Tanase’s request to countersue and to impose sanctions. Previously, Tanase has given an inaccurate affidavit, which he later had to correct and has since swapped law firms three times since the case started.
Bowlero, which has two of the biggest bowling brands under its umbrella, AMF and Lucky Strike, has faced persistent challenges over its labor practices, with a long-running EEOC investigation stemming from allegations from more than 70 former employees claiming unlawful dismissal.
Claims insisting that Shannon hosted “beauty contests” and used them as a screening process for prospective hires and allegations of racial discrimination have deepened Bowlero’s trouble.
Despite these interlocking controversies, implications from Tanase’s attorney suggest that even if their proposed counter-claim doesn’t materialize in court, it will likely find new life as an independent lawsuit. Amid these clashings, it remains disputed whether Tanase was fired or resigned from Bowlero.
