A former NFL Media journalist is accusing the league of refusing to handle what he calls long-standing institutional discrimination and said his contract was not renewed because he repeatedly voiced concerns regarding equity and racial injustice.
In making his allegations in a discrimination and retaliation lawsuit filed Tuesday in federal court in Latest York City, Jim Trotter also cited Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones and Buffalo Bills owner Terry Pegula as making racially insensitive comments. Trotter said the concerns he raised with league executives, including NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, regarding those comments and the shortage of diversity amongst NFL Media employees fell on deaf ears.
“The NFL has claimed it desires to be held accountable regarding diversity, equity and inclusion. I attempted to accomplish that, and it cost me my job,” Trotter said in an announcement released by his law firm, Wigdor. “I’m filing this lawsuit because I can’t complain about things which might be incorrect if I’m unwilling to fight for what is correct.”
Trotter is Black and now works for The Athletic after previously being a reporter for the NFL Network, before his contract was not renewed in March.
The NFL issued an announcement disputing Trotter’s allegations.
“We share Jim Trotter’s passion for quality journalism created in and supported by a various and inclusive environment,” the NFL said. “We take his concerns seriously, but strongly dispute his specific allegations, particularly those made against his dedicated colleagues at NFL Media.”
The NFL said Trotter’s contract was not renewed in consequence of business decisions made to handle “a difficult economy and a changing media environment.”
Pegula also said in an announcement that the allegation against him is fake. “I’m horrified that anyone would connect me to an allegation of this sort,” he said. “Racism has no place in our society and I’m personally disgusted that my name is related to this grievance.”
Jones issued an announcement that said: “Diversity and inclusion are extremely necessary to me personally and to the NFL. The representation made by Jim Trotter of a conversation that occurred over three years ago with myself and our VP of Player Personnel Will McClay is just not accurate.”
Trotter said he was subjected to discrimination on the premise of his race. He alleges the NFL fostered and condoned a hostile work environment by terminating him.
He’s in search of to have a court-ordered monitor put in place to research and review the NFL’s policies and implement mandatory changes on its hiring, retention and advancement of Black employees throughout its organization.
The lawsuit said NFL Media didn’t have a single Black person in a managerial position or on its news desk.
Trotter raised his concerns regarding the shortage of Black people in decision-making positions to Goodell at several news conferences, including throughout the league’s Super Bowl festivities in February.
In a lengthy answer, Goodell said partially: “I believe it’s not a single answer, Jim, the one responsibility comes on all of us within the NFL, and now we have to be those that make that change, and we’re those that need to make sure that we bring diversity deeper into our NFL and make the NFL an inclusive and diverse organization, that permits everyone the chance to achieve success.”
Trotter said that on the next day, his direct supervisor, Ali Bhanpuri, asked one among Trotter’s colleagues: “Why does Jim keep bringing this up?”
NFL Media noted that its three most up-to-date senior hires are people of color, with two being Black and the opposite Hispanic. And eight of nine of its most up-to-date on-air hirings represent diverse backgrounds, including seven being Black.
Trotter’s lawyers, Douglas Wigdor and David Gottlieb, issued a joint statement that said: “The NFL ought to be ashamed of the racial animus openly expressed by team owners and a whole lack of motion by the league after being placed on notice.”
Trotter implicated Jones by referring to a conversation he had with the Cowboys owner in 2020 on the difficulty of the shortage of Black professionals in decision-making positions across the NFL. He said, Jones’ response was: “If Blacks feel some type of way, they can purchase their very own team and hire who they wish to hire.”
Trotter said he was ordered by his superiors to not mention Jones comments’ in his reporting.
Trotter then cited a comment Pegula allegedly made during a dinner with reporters on the difficulty of player protests against racial injustice. Though Trotter wasn’t present, he said the comments were raised by one among his colleagues during an NFL Media Zoom call in 2020.
An individual briefed on the matter told The Associated Press that the NFL conducted an investigation into Pegula’s alleged comments by interviewing all those present on the dinner, and it couldn’t find anyone else recalling the comments being made.
The person spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity since the NFL has not revealed the contents of its investigation.