Bills owner named in lawsuit against NFL and NFL Media; Reporter claims Pegula made racist remark
FILE - Buffalo Bills owner Terry Pegula walks on the sidelines during an NFL football game against the Miami Dolphins, Sunday, Sept. 25, 2022, in Miami Gardens, Fla. The NFL Buffalo Bills and NHL Sabres will operate as separate entities after the teams’ owner Terry Pegula dissolved their parent company. The move to dissolve Pegula Sports and Entertainment is being referred to as one that will allow each the teams to focus singularly on their efforts.(AP Photo/Doug Murray, File)
ORCHARD PARK, N.Y.- A well-known sports reporter, Jim Trotter, has named Buffalo Bills owner Terry Pegula in a discrimination lawsuit against the NFL and NFL Media.
Trotter said there has been long-standing systemic racism throughout the league and they have failed to do anything about it. He points to a lack of diversity among NFL coaching staff, the league and in the NFL Media newsroom.
In the complaint, Trotter’s attorney writes:
“The NFL has consistently acquiesced to and participated in outright discrimination and continues to refuse to take remedial action to solve this obvious problem. Mr. Trotter is only the latest victim—but without change, will not be the last—of the NFL’s steadfast commitment to silence and seeking vengeance against those who seek change.”
Trotter claims that in September 2020, Pegula addressed the Black Lives Matter movement, saying “If the Black players don’t like it here, they should go back to Africa and see how bad it is.” Trotter claims he spoke up and asked if there was going to be discussion about Pegula’s “highly offensive and racist” remark.
Read the lawsuit:
Trotter says he asked for months whether Pegula’s remark had been addressed. He claims one year after Pegula made the remark a representative from NFL Media told him it was a human resources matter. Trotter says it was swept under the rug.
Trotter says he’s been retailiated against for speaking up about what he calls discriminatory practices and that in March 2023, his contract was not renewed.
“Unfortunately, Mr. Trotter’s termination is not a one-off or a surprise or an anomaly. Rather, Mr. Trotter’s termination is the logical and expected result of an employer that has demonstrated time and time again that it does not value diversity, does not embrace Black voices and acts with vindictiveness towards anyone who speaks negatively about the NFL or opposes the NFL’s systemic discriminatory and retaliatory conduct.”
This is a developing story, News10NBC will provide updates when they become available.