Wantagh Woman at Center of Lawsuit Against Brett Favre and Jets

A Wantagh woman is at the center of a lawsuit filed against the New York Jets by two former massage therapists for the National Football League (NFL) team who claim they lost their jobs after being sexually harassed by former "Gang Green" quarterback Brett Favre during the 2008 pre-season.

The suit seeking unspecified damages was filed Monday in State Supreme Court by Christina Scavo and Shannon O'Toole against Lisa Ripi of Wantagh, a massage coordinator for the Jets, the team and Favre.

Scavo and O'Toole argue in the suit that they both lost their jobs providing massage therapy to Jets players after Ripi found out about their complaints. Ripi is described in court documents for the lawsuit as being by her own admission "the go-to person if one wanted to be a massage therapist for the Jets."

Ken Wilensky, Ripi's attorney, declined to comment. Officials for the Jets and Favre's agent Bus Cook did not immediately respond to calls seeking comment on Tuesday afternoon.

Favre allegedly sent inappropriate text messages to the plaintiffs, prompting
Scavo's husband, Joseph Scavo, to contact the Jets starting quarterback and ask him to "stop soliciting his wife for 'bad intentions" or to get together with her," the suit states.

He also sought an apology from Favre, but the star quarterback instead "responded in an inappropriate manner and refused to apologize or to take any other action," according to the suit.

O'Toole and Scavo spent years working for the Jets when the team trained at Hofstra University. The women worked as massage therapists during training camp sessions at Hofstra and at other locations, including the players' homes, the suit stated. The Jets were headquartered at Hofstra University in Hempstead from 1974 until September 2008 when they moved to Florham Park, N.J.

Attorneys for O'Toole and Scavo did not immediately return a call seeking comment on Tuesday afternoon.

The lawsuit filed by O'Toole and Scavo comes a week after the NFL imposed a $50,000 fine on Favre for failing to cooperate in a league investigation that alleged that the 11-time Pro Bowler had sent inappropriate text messages and lewd photos to former Jets' game-day host Jenn Sterger in 2008.

Favre spent 20 seasons in the NFL mostly with the Green bay Packers before joining the Jets during training camp in 2008. Favre, who led the Packers to a Super Bowl title during the 1996 season, spent the last two years with the Minnesota Vikings and announced his retirement from the league this past Sunday.