Jim Trotter, a long-time journalist who has covered the NFL for over three decades, including most recently for the league itself as part of NFL Network, filed a lawsuit Tuesday alleging racial discrimination against the cable network and league after his contract was not renewed earlier this year.
Trotter says in his lawsuit he was assured his contract would be renewed, but after he pressed commissioner Roger Goodell on the league’s genuine commitment to diversity at the Super Bowl this year, it was not. Trotter has publicly questioned the league’s record on discrimination several times over the past few years and he alleges the non-renewal was retaliation for raising the issue.
“The NFL has claimed it wants to be held accountable regarding diversity, equity and inclusion. I tried to do so, and it cost me my job,” Trotter said in a statement posted on X.com. “I’m filing this lawsuit because I can’t complain about things that are wrong if l’m unwilling to fight for what is right.”
The 53-page lawsuit, filed in a Manhattan court, claims Trotter was let go in retaliation for his public challenge of Goodell at the NFL’s biggest event in Feburary 2023.
Not only does Trotter claim the NFL’s leader and the network he once worked for discriminated against him, but also made explosive claims about some of the league’s high-profile owners.
Explosive owner allegation found in lawsuit
Trotter said Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones made racist comments to him. When asked why there weren’t more black executives with decision-making responsibility in the league, Trotter says Jones told him: ““If Blacks feel some kind of way, they should buy their own team and hire who they want to hire,” Jones told Trotter, according to the complaint. Trotter said he reported the incident to his superiors at NFL Network who did nothing to address it with the league, according to the filing.
The Cowboys, when asked to comment on the allegation by several news sources, did not respond.
Trotter also alleges Buffalo Bills owner Terry Pegula made racist comments to him, which were outlined in the complaint. When Trotter spoke to Pegula about racial matters of concern for players in the league, he allegedly said: “If the black players don’t like it here, they should go back to Africa and see how bad it is.”
Pegula denied the claim in an official post on the team’s X.com handle.
— Buffalo Bills (@BuffaloBills) September 12, 2023
Jim Trotter’s NFL Network job was suddenly revoked
With Trotter’s contract coming up in 2023 for renewal, he says he discussed his future with Sandra Nunez, the vice president who is responsible for the network’s on-air talent. Trotter says Nunez told him she could not see any reason why his contract wouldn’t be renewed and even doubled down asking if he would be interested in an “expanded role.”
But that all changed after the highly publicized and televised exchange with Goodell.
Then, in late March, Nunez called Trotter’s agent to tell him that his contract would not be renewed.
Trotter is seeking monetary damages to be determined at trial and the appointment of a court-ordered monitor to investigate the league’s “policies and practices in the hiring, retention and advancement of Black people throughout all levels of the N.F.L. organization and hierarchy.”
“The NFL should be ashamed of the racial animus openly expressed by team owners and a complete lack of action by the league after being put on notice,” Trotters attorneys said in a statement.
Trotter, who was hired as a columnist for the online sports publication The Athletic in April, is being represented by the same attorneys former Miami Dolphins coach Brian Flores has retained for his racial discrimination suit against Goodell and the NFL.