Reporter Jim Trotter Sues NFL

[Ed Monix]

Buffalo Bills owner Terry Pegula allegedly made a racist comment about Black players in the NFL, according to a racial discrimination lawsuit against the league filed Tuesday by longtime reporter Jim Trotter.

Trotter alleges in the lawsuit that in 2020, a fellow NFL Media reporter recalled a conversation he had with Pegula, who was speaking to the reporter about the NFL's social justice initiatives and Black Lives Matter.

The reporter, who was not identified in the lawsuit, told Trotter and approximately 40 other NFL Media coworkers during a Zoom call that Pegula said: "If the Black players don't like it here, they should go back to Africa and see how bad it is."

The lawsuit states that Trotter, who is Black, pressed executives at NFL Media to investigate Pegula's comments, which were "highly offensive and racist," but that he was "repeatedly brushed off and told that 'the league office is investigating it.'"

The lawsuit also mentions Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones, who allegedly told Trotter in 2020 that "If Blacks feel some kind of way, they should buy their own team and hire who they want to hire."

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Source: ESPN

[Roy H.]

If there were 40 witnesses, this would seemingly be easy to prove. 

[Donoghus]

I remember him grilling the Commish  at Super Bowl Media Day back in February.  I know the League usually sets up that press conference as a PR piece with softball questions lobbed at Goodell. 

Then a few weeks later, he's one of the NFL Media employees who didn't get their contract renewed. Certainly stuck to high heaven of some league retribution.

[tazzmaniac]

If there were 40 witnesses, this would seemingly be easy to prove.

From the OP's writeup, it seems like the unnamed reporter had a conversation with Pegula.  Then some time later that unnamed reporter recalled that conversation to Trotter and the other reporters.  So Trotter and those other reporters would not be direct witnesses to the initial conversation. 

[tazzmaniac]

I know pretty much anything can be a lawsuit in America.  However even if Pegula said what is alleged I don't see what the substance of the lawsuit is.  Free speech is allowed even if someone finds it offensive.  The NFL has no obligation to respond to reporters. 

[Kernewek]

I know pretty much anything can be a lawsuit in America.  However even if Pegula said what is alleged I don't see what the substance of the lawsuit is.  Free speech is allowed even if someone finds it offensive.  The NFL has no obligation to respond to reporters.

The ESPN article is terribly written in that way; the lawsuit is about racial discrimination in the workplace, not a lawsuit about what Pegula said.

Trotter is alleging that he was not extended due to publicly questioning Goodell about the lack of diversity in the NFL workplace (outside of the players, obviously). The NFL network is owned by the NFL (go figure), so it’s a little more complicated than the NFL’s relationship with “normal” reporters.

Pegula is brought up as an example in the lawsuit of the NFL’s alleged modus operandi when it comes to ‘dealing with’ accusations of discriminatory behaviour within the league workplace. You can read the timeline here, it’s very straightforward:

https://s3.documentcloud.org/documents/23972194/jim-trotter-lawsuit.pdf

[Moranis]

Even if that comment was made by the Bills owner it doesn't mean there is any legally cognizance claim for discrimination.  He might be the biggest racist in the world and he still might not discriminate under the law.

Which is why I think this lawsuit is silly.  Trotter didn't understand the time and place and most likeky got fired for dampening the Super Bowl with these questions instead of questions about the game.   

[Kernewek]

I don't disagree with you, just pointing out that there's a difference between saying this:

It has already been acknowledged by many in the media,2 that the NFL retaliated
against and took vengeance on Mr. Trotter for him having taken the NFL to task on its
discriminatory practices. The NFL’s treatment of Mr. Trotter is consistent with a documented
history of silencing, retaliating against and “blackballing” Black men who speak out about such
conduct. This is the NFL’s modus operandi and part of the fabric of the league.4.

But Mr. Trotter’s experience with discrimination and retaliation was not limited to
his termination. Throughout his employment, Mr. Trotter witnessed and observed discriminatory
and/or hostile conduct by his employers—including by NFL team owners—that went entirely
unchecked as a matter of standard operating procedure. 5.

As one such example, Terry Pegula, owner of the Buffalo Bills, stated in
reference 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 §III(D). Mr. Trotter raised
complaints and concerns about this remark but no remedial action was taken.

Which is how the reference is presented within the context of the suit (abridged, I'm not quoting the whole thing but there's more detail inside) and saying "Jim Trotter is suing the NFL because of what Terry Pegula said", which is how it's presented in the excerpt in the OP.