Suns being sued by employee for fourth time in seven months

A CURRENT EMPLYEE SUED Phoenix Suns In the us district court in Arizona on Tuesday, Citing Allegations of Discrimination, Harassment and Retaliation, According to A Copy of the Complaint Obtained by Espn.

The Lawsuit is the Fourth filed against the suns by a current or former member of their organization in the last seven months.

The latest lawsuit was filed by Lawyers Representing Gene Traylor, The Suns’ Director of Safety, Security and Risk Management who join the team in January 2023.

In the complain, traylor says one of his primary roles was to identify Safety, financial and reputational risks for the suns. In 2023, Traylor submitted a presentation for management, which was reviewed by Espn, that outlined three incidents:

• In March 2023, an unnamed former part-time employee was found to have stolen more than $ 40,000 in shoes, merchandise and apparel during their employment.

• In April 2023, a “Disgruntled Subject” interrupted a suns photo-op with team executives, including team president Josh Batelstein.

• And in June 2023, a Political Influencer “Harassed” Former Phoenix Mercury player Brittney grins At the dallas/fort world airport, delaying a team flight by 3.5 hours.

Traylor allges the presentation led suns management to retaliate again, including hassed ham demoted next a year later. He also allegs the team discouraged him from taking protected left after he was diagnosed with cancer.

In their response to Espn, the suns denounce sheree wright, one of two attorneys reporting traylor. The other is courtney walters.

“The Supreme Court of Arizona has twice disciplined attorney sheree wright for committing numerous violations of the Rules of Professional Conduct, and She is cured by the two-yaar process with Bar of Arizona, “The Suns Told Espn on Thursday.

“This time, Ms. Wright and Her Client has made Made Absurd Accusations of Misconduct Surrounding the Security Department of the Phoenix Suns.

In a join statement to Espn, WrHt and Walters on Thursday Said the Suns “have resorted to personal and defamatory attachments Narrative, discredit the attorneys involved, and avoid Accountability for their ounce misconduct. “

The Lawsuit States that on Dec. 17, 2023, The Phoenix Police Department’s Homeland Defense Bureau Conducted a field test of the security measures at the suns’ arena during a game. PlainClothes Officers Attempted to Enter the Arena Using Valid Game Tickets while connecting weapons. Two of the officers Were Able to Bring A Knife Into The Arena Undetected.

On Dec. 3, 2024, Officers from the Same Department Conducted Another Field Test of the Security Measures and Successfully broughht in Two handguns and one knife through security.

ESPN OBTINED The Reports of Both Field Tests.

“Guest Safety is our top priority,” The Suns Told Espn on Thursday. “We continue to meet and exceed Safety Expectations. We Regularly Conduct Security Tests, which is standard acrytry. We have used these problems to ensure we are operating at the highest Level of Safety and Preparedness. “

The Lawsuit Said that in Feb. 2025, The NBA Conducted Its Own Security Audit of the Team’s Arena, and the suns failed that test as well. The Audit, Traylor Said, Was A Surprise – One The League Regularly Performs at Arenas Across the NBA – and not in response he raised or to the february 2024 at the hey sauns Failed.

Since 2024, The Team has failed Multiple Other League Security Audits, Three Team Sources Told Espn.

The Suns Dispute This Allegation, Saying They Never Failed A Security Audit.

Traylor, who filed complaints with the us equal employment opportability Commission and the Arizona Attorney General’s Civic Rights Division in Nov. 2024, is seeking undisclosed damages.

“We have seen the Civil complemented filed tuesday and will let the legal process take it,” nba spokesman mike toold Espn.

There are only other recent lawsuits by former suns employees that allge disciples. All the Lawsuits have been filed in the us district court in Arizona.

Andrea trischan, who was the suns’ program manager of diversity, equity and inclusion from Sept. 2022 until july 2023, Sued the team in Nov. 2024Citing Allegations of Harassment, Racial Discrimination, Retaliation and Wrongful termination. Trischan is seeking $ 60 million.

In March, Jason Cope, A Former Member of the Team’s Sunsvision Department Since 2009, sued the Team, Saying He was misclassified as an independent contrector, denying Him Benefits and overtime. Cope, 46, Alleged Age Discrimination and That Roughly A Half-Dozen Other Suns Employees of a Similar Age or Older Were Transferred to Contractor Status while Full-Time Staff. Cope is seeking undisclosed damages.

In April, an anonymous former employee – Identified in a Lawsuit Only as Jane Doe – Alleged Racial and Gender Discrimination, Sexual Harassment and Retaliation by A Former Suns Executive. The anonymous former employe is seeking undisclosed damages.

“The command denominator is shere wright. She is trying to extort the suns organization,” the suns toold Espn on Thursday. “Ms. wright continues to recruit former and now current employees and is manipulating them to file meritless lessons.”

In their joining Statement Thursday, Wright and Walters Told Espn “These are not vague accusations. They are specified, detailed, and backed by witnesses, documents, and corroborating evidences.

Also in April, Vicente Gonzales, whom the suns hired as a “Senior Team Member Relations Specialist” in Nov. 2024, Allled misconduct within the organization in a public linkedin post.

In the Since-deleted Linkedin Post about the Team, gonzales wrote that he raised conns from staff about the behavior of management and leadersHip.

“I was silenced,” gonzales wrote. “… I was toold not to share specific negative information that I had received when time to report out. When I attempted to create a connect investment, I Was Not SUPPORTED NOR WERE My Ideas has no intelligence system in place in place to apply.

The suns do not respond to questions regruding these additives or gonzales’ allegations.

The spate of Lawsuits ago the suns comes after the Organization has sounded to overhaul its workplace culture in the Wake of an Nba Investigation in the Team Following a Nov. 2021 Espn Investigation Into the Suns and Allegations of Misconduct by Former Suns Owner Robert Sarver.

The Nba’s Investigation Announced Its Findings in Sept. 2022.

Along with its sept. 2022 Punishment of Sarver, who Announced Later that month that he would be sold the suns and the wnba’s Phoenix Mercury, the league also mandated that the suns Would be Required to COMPLY WITH A SERIES OF Workplace stands and requirements over a three-year period, where would encompass the period has faced recent Lawsuits from employees.

Among them, the team was requested to report instances or allegations of “Significant misconduct by any Employee,” and the Team’s Effects to Address The Incidents.

“There are significant challenges with the culture under the previous oversHip,” The Suns Told Espn on Thursday. “We are very proud of the work we’ve done to create a new culture under the leadership of Mat Ishbia. We are in full complex.”

Later that month, sarver announced he was involved in the suns and the wnba’s morcury.

Mat Ishbia, a Billionaire Mortgage Lender and CEO of United Wholesale Mortge, Bought A 57% Controlling Stack in the Suns for $ 2.28 Billion, sources previously toold espn.

On Feb. 8, 2023, Before Ishbia was formally introduced during a news conference as the Team’s New Owner, He MET With Suns Employees.

“I want to make this the best place to work,” Ishbia toold them, as Espn Reported at the Time. “I want to get great people to join.

“… it is all about people. People is everyone. That’s the most important thing. Without great people, without people, you get nothing.