A longtime New York Rangers superfan known as “Dancing Larry” was honored on the jumbotron Wednesday for his 30 years at Madison Square Garden, even as a new lawsuit alleges he groped staffers during his in-game performances at the arena.
The lawsuit, filed in New York County Supreme Court and first reported by The Independent, was brought by Miranda Tyson, a former member of the Rangers’ Blue Crew entertainment team.
Tyson, whose father is astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson, alleges that Larry Goodman, the man behind the Dancing Larry persona, engaged in “pervasive and severe” harassment consisting of repeated unwanted physical contact during his third-period routines, including touching performers’ heads, necks, arms, shoulders and backs, and at times attempting to intertwine fingers during high-fives.
Despite the allegations, Goodman was spotlighted during Wednesday’s 5-3 Rangers loss to the Buffalo Sabres, marking his three decades entertaining fans at the famed Garden, according to a post on X by New York Post NHL reporter Mollie Walker.
An MSG spokesperson told The Independent in a statement Thursday, “We don’t comment on employee or legal matters,” which is the same response they gave when first asked about the lawsuit. However, a source familiar with the situation told the New York Post that the allegations are unfounded and that the organization continues to support Goodman.
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Jonathan Ouimet, a journalist who covers Rangers for NY Hockey Insider, wrote of the decision to feature Goodman on the Jumbotron following the claims over his behavior: “For the Rangers, this lands like another avoidable own goal.
“The team did not create the lawsuit, but the tribute made sure it became part of the night anyway.
“Instead of controlling the message, the organization handed fresh attention to a controversy that should have stayed outside the arena and away from a moment meant to feel celebratory.”
The bald, Rangers uniform-wearing Goodman is a season ticket holder who has performed at Rangers games since 1996. He is not named as a defendant in the civil lawsuit. Instead, the legal action targets MSG and the Rangers organization, accusing them of failing to address complaints and allowing the alleged conduct to continue.
Goodman is known for energizing the crowd by dancing to “Strike It Up” by Black Box during the third period, a routine that made him a fan favorite even as Tyson alleges their experiences with him were uncomfortable from the beginning.
Tyson, who joined the Blue Crew in 2021, says they raised concerns with supervisors and human resources about Goodman’s alleged behavior, arguing the organization had a responsibility to step in, and claims no meaningful action was taken and the conduct continued. After years of reluctance by Tyson and colleagues to speak out due to Goodman’s popularity with fans and team leadership, Tyson formally reported the alleged behavior to her direct supervisor in March 2024.
Tyson emphasized in a message to their supervisor that they were not asking to be personally taken off the Dancing Larry segments, the complaint says.
“That would not solve the problem – that would simply put another victim of persistent, unwelcome physical conduct that interferes with their ability to do their job in my place,” Tyson wrote. “I am saying that MSG has a responsibility to step in and address this textbook sexual harassment from one of its most recognizable personalities.”
The suit also says other colleagues reported “even more egregious conduct by Larry, including… spitting into people’s mouths.”
“Every time we return from ‘Dancing Larry,’ more than one person assigned to it laments an unwanted interaction,” Tyson wrote in the email to their supervisor, according to the complaint.
Tyson’s position with the Blue Crew was ultimately eliminated in August 2025 after they continued to report the alleged misconduct, according to the suit. The suit argues that the decision was retaliatory, despite having previously received positive feedback in their performance reviews.
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 and the Rangers’ “malicious, willful, wanton and reckless conduct,” plus pre-judgment and post-judgment interest.
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’s suit, was unable to be reached.
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