The Phoenix Suns find themselves at the center of a legal battle with a former employee, Andrea Trischan, who has accused the organization of discrimination, harassment, and wrongful termination. Trischan, who previously served as the Suns’ program manager of diversity, equity, and inclusion, is seeking a staggering $60 million in damages. According to her attorney, Sheree Wright, Trischan decided to file a formal complaint with both the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and the Arizona attorney general’s office’s civil rights division after experiencing racial discrimination, harassment, and retaliation throughout her time with the Suns.
Trischan joined the Suns on September 19, 2022, shortly after former owner Robert Sarver was suspended and fined by the NBA following an investigation into his conduct and the team’s workplace culture. Trischan’s position was specifically created to address the issues raised by current and former employees regarding diversity, equity, and inclusion within the organization. However, just 10 months into her role, Trischan found herself facing termination due to what the Suns allege as repeated failure to perform her job duties.
In November 2022, Trischan learned that the Suns were establishing a diversity council without consulting her, which was comprised of several Suns executives. Subsequently, misconduct allegations against some of these executives surfaced in an ESPN report. Trischan, upon realizing that the accused executives were also part of the diversity council, began investigating these claims. However, she was met with resistance from Kim Corbitt, her manager and head of human resources, who requested Trischan to halt her investigation into the executives’ misconduct.
Throughout her employment with the Suns, Trischan claims to have endured harassment, discrimination, and retaliation from her colleagues and superiors, including Corbitt. These actions were apparently in response to Trischan’s attempts to address the discriminatory behavior within the organization and her filing of complaints regarding such issues. Despite voicing her concerns and facing resistance, Trischan was ultimately placed on a performance improvement plan in May and terminated in July 2023.
Following her termination, Trischan and the Suns are currently engaged in discussions regarding a potential settlement through mediation. However, as of now, no agreement has been reached. Trischan’s attorneys have confirmed that they are prepared to file a formal lawsuit against the Suns if an agreement is not reached by the specified deadline. The Suns, on the other hand, maintain that they are cooperating with the Arizona Civil Rights Division’s review of Trischan’s allegations and are confident that the claims made against them are baseless.
The Phoenix Suns are facing serious allegations of discrimination and wrongful termination brought forth by a former employee. The legal battle between Trischan and the organization underscores the importance of addressing workplace diversity, equity, and inclusion, and the repercussions organizations may face if such matters are not handled appropriately. As the legal proceedings unfold, it remains to be seen how the Suns will address and respond to the allegations made by Trischan and whether a resolution can be reached through mediation or if the case will proceed to court.
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