Suns employee becomes fourth to sue franchise in last 7 months

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PHOENIX — A Phoenix Suns employee sued the organization on Tuesday citing allegations of discrimination, harassment and unlawful retaliation, according to a copy of the complaint obtained by The Athletic.

It marks the fourth time over the last seven months that a current or former employee filed a lawsuit against the Suns.

The latest lawsuit was filed by attorneys representing Gene Traylor in U.S. District Court in Arizona. Traylor was hired in January of 2023 as the director of safety, security and risk management. Per the complaint, his responsibilities included evaluating the organization’s safety, financial and reputational risks.

ESPN first reported Traylor’s lawsuit.

In 2023, Traylor presented a security assessment that he alleges led to retaliation from management and ultimately a demotion. The presentation, viewed by The Athletic, included specific examples of incidents that Traylor said put the organization at risk. Among them:

• In March of 2023, a former “team associate” was found to have stolen more than $40,000 in player shoes, apparel and merchandise.
• In April of 2023, a “disgruntled subject” attempted to disrupt a photo op that included then-general manager James Jones and CEO Josh Bartelstein.
• In June of 2023, a “political influencer” harassed former Phoenix Mercury star Brittney Griner as she walked through a Dallas airport.

The complaint also alleges the Suns failed multiple arena security tests. According to the lawsuit, the Phoenix Police Department’s Homeland Defense Bureau conducted field tests in 2023 and 2024 during which plainclothes officers successfully smuggled weapons into the arena.

A Suns spokesperson said the Suns have never failed a security audit.

Traylor, who remains a Suns employee, is represented by Sheree Wright and Cortney Walters.

In November, Wright also represented Andrea Trischan, a team diversity, equity and inclusion official who sued the organization, alleging racial discrimination and unlawful retaliation that led to her dismissal. In April, Wright filed a lawsuit on behalf of an anonymous former employee who alleged racial and gender discrimination, sexual harassment and retaliation by a former Suns executive.

“The Supreme Court of Arizona has twice disciplined attorney Sheree Wright for committing numerous violations of the rules of professional conduct, and she is currently serving a two-year probation with the State Bar of Arizona,’’ Stacey Mitch, the Suns’ senior vice president of communications, said in a statement.

“This time, Ms. Wright and her client have made absurd accusations of misconduct surrounding the security department of the Phoenix Suns. These allegations are delusional and categorically false. Ms. Wright initially filed these ridiculous claims with regulators but voluntarily withdrew them. The Suns will not be extorted and will seek to hold Ms. Wright and her accomplices fully responsible for their actions.”

Wright and Walters responded in a statement, which read in part: “We are proud to represent multiple individuals, both current and former employees of the Phoenix Suns, who have courageously stepped forward to share their experiences of discrimination, harassment and retaliation within the organization. These are not vague accusations. They are specific, detailed and backed by witnesses, documentation and corroborating evidence.

“Rather than engage with the substance of these credible claims, the Suns have resorted to personal and defamatory attacks against Attorney Sheree Wright. This is a transparent and calculated attempt to shift the public narrative, discredit the attorneys involved and avoid accountability for their own misconduct.”

(Photo: Christian Petersen / Getty Images)

This news was originally published on this post .

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