Former reporter claims Bills owner Terry Pegula, Cowboys owner Jerry Jones made racist comments about hiring, social justice protests
This morning, Pro Football Talk tweeted out the first look NFL fans have gotten at longtime NFL reporter Jim Trotter’s discrimination suit against the NFL.
Trotter’s suit, filed in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York, names the National Football League and NFL Network, Trotter’s former employer, as defendants. The complaint filed on Trotter’s behalf spans a full 53 pages, but PFT tweeted out a few of the allegations contained therein, including allegations of statements that confirm that racial equality is still a big problem in the NFL.
Remember all those “End Racism” block letters in the endzones? Take a look at what Trotter alleges owners Jerry Jones and Terry Pegula have said in his presence. Trotter’s lawsuit alleges, in part:
- As one such example, Terry Pegula, owner of the Buffalo Bills, stated inteference to player protests against racial injustice that, “If the Black players don’t like it here, they should go back to Africa and see how bad it is.” See infra at SIII(D).
Mr. Trotter says he raised complaints and concerns about this remark, but no action was taken.
- As another example, Jerry Jones, owner of the Dallas Cowboys, responded to a question posed by Mr. Trotter regarding the dearth of Black professionals in decision making positions for NFL teams by stating, “If Blacks feel some kind of way, they should buy their own team and hire who they want to hire.” See infra at SIII©. Mr. Trotter raised complaints and concerns about this remark but no remedial action was taken.
His quotes on Native American rights and women’s rights suggest he might have had broader views than you are considering. He could have been a racist but he appears to have been fairly progressive by 19th century standards.