Nov 15, 2024
An ongoing dispute between a former Suns employee and the team has made its way to court.
Andrea Trischan, the team’s former program manager of diversity, equity, and inclusion for 10 months between September 2022 and July 2023, is suing the organization alleging harassment, racial discrimination, retaliation and wrongful termination. In the lawsuit, she also alleges financial misconduct, sexual misconduct, and racial discrimination by current and past team executives.
The lawsuit was filed in U.S. District Court in Phoenix. The suit, which was reviewed by Front Office Sports, is asking for unspecified damages and a jury trial. A Suns spokesperson told ESPN that Trischan is seeking $60 million. A Suns spokesperson did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Sheree Wright, Trischan’s attorney, also did not respond to a request for comment.
Trischan joined the organization in 2022, just days after an ESPN story detailed a toxic workplace environment in the team offices, which started with former owner Robert Sarver. The report detailed instances of Sarver using racially insensitive language around employees, misogynistic behavior, and included a story of him pantsing an employee. In September 2022, the NBA suspended Sarver for one year after its own investigation and fined him $10 million. Sarver sold the team to mortgage lending tycoon Mat Ishbia for $4 billion in February 2023.
In her role, Trischan was supposed to help address the workplace issues the ESPN report highlighted under Sarver, one of which was an NBA requirement that the team improve its diversity, equity, and inclusion programs, the lawsuit states.
Source: Front Office Sports