Ex-Suns employee seeks $60M in damages in discrimination complaint - ESPN

The Phoenix Suns are embroiled in a dispute with a former employee who is claiming discrimination and wrongful termination and is seeking $60 million in damages, according to a 25-page statement from August 2024 that was obtained by ESPN.

That ex-employee, Andrea Trischan, who was the Suns' program manager of diversity, equity and inclusion, filed a complaint with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and the Arizona attorney general's office's civil rights division, which is investigating the matter.

«Ms. Trischan filed a formal complaint… due to ongoing racial discrimination, harassment, and retaliation she experienced while employed with the Phoenix Suns,» Trischan's attorney, Sheree Wright, wrote in an email to ESPN. «Specifically, Ms. Trischan endured overt racist comments and a hostile work environment that went unaddressed despite being reported to HR and executive leadership.»

Trischan was hired by the Suns on Sept. 19, 2022, six days after the NBA announced that then-owner Robert Sarver was suspended one year and fined $10 million following an NBA investigation into his conduct and the team's workplace culture during Sarver's 18-year tenure as the team's majority owner.

The Arizona attorney general's office declined to comment, noting it «does not confirm the existence of investigations or provide comments on any potential investigations,» a spokesperson for the office wrote in an email to ESPN.

«A former employee who last worked for the organization in 2023 was terminated after less than 10 months due to repeated failure to perform her job duties,» Suns and Mercury senior vice president of communications Stacey Mitch told ESPN. «This individual filed a baseless charge with a state agency and is now