BUFFALO, N.Y. (WKBW) — Buffalo Bills and Sabres owner Terry Pegula has been quoted in a lawsuit filed by former NFL Network journalist Jim Trotter against the NFL.
Trotter, who now works for The Athletic, left NFL Network in spring 2023 after the NFL opted not to renew his contract.
In the lawsuit, Trotter alleges the league opted to end his employment because of Trotter's repeated comments calling out discrimination.
During his tenure, Mr. Trotter repeatedly called out the NFL for refusing to address long-standing, systemic and institutional discrimination within coaching ranks, within the NFL league office and within the NFL Media newsroom. For having the integrity and courage to stand up to the NFL, Mr. Trotter lost his job.
In one example named in the lawsuit, Trotter accuses Bills owner Terry Pegula of making a racist remark. Trotter quoted Pegula as responding to player protests against racial injustice, alleging that Pegula said, "if the Black players don't like it here, they should go back to Africa and see how bad it is."
Trotter claims in the lawsuit that he followed up with the NFL regarding Pegula's alleged comments, and that "no remedial action was taken."
Later in the lawsuit, Pegula is quoted in response to the National Anthem protests by former quarterback Colin Kaepernick over racial injustice in the United States. Trotter accuses Pegula of calling the issue a "media problem," and suggesting, "for us to have a face, as an African-American, at least a face that could be in the media, we could fall in behind that."
Pegula responded to the allegations with a statement released by the Bills and Sabres on social media on Tuesday:
The statement attributed to me in Mr. Trotter's complaint is absolutely false. I am horrified that anyone would connect me to an allegation of this kind. Racism has no place in our society and I am personally disgusted that my name is associated with this complaint.
Trotter's lawsuit also quotes Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones, cites the lack of Black NFL team owners, general managers and head coaches, and outlines the behavior of since-fired head coach Jon Gruden as evidence of the league's history of discrimination.
As to why he filed the lawsuit, Trotter released a statement on Tuesday:
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. I'm filing this lawsuit because I can't complain about things that are wrong if I'm unwilling to fight for what's right. . . . I hope this lawsuit leads to real change across the league and in the newsroom. It is on the backs of a majority black player population that owners have made billions and those players deserve to have someone who shares their cultural and life experiences at the table when decisions are being made about how they are being covered.
In response to the lawsuit, 7 News anchor Jeff Russo reached out to the NFL for comment. NFL Chief Spokesperson Brian McCarthy responded:
We share Jim Trotter’s passion for quality journalism created in and supported by a diverse and inclusive environment. We take his concerns seriously, but strongly dispute his specific allegations, particularly those made against his dedicated colleagues at NFL Media. Mr. Trotter’s departure from NFL Media was one of many difficult decisions – similar to decisions recently made by many other media organizations -- to address a challenging economy and a changing media environment. Jim was one of many employees who were unfortunately affected by these business decisions. We appreciate Jim’s five years of service at NFL Media and wish him much success in his new role. The NFL has made significant strides in improving diversity and inclusion and, while we acknowledge there is always more work to be done, we are committed to continuing that progress.
7 News anchor Jeff Russo is continuing to look into this lawsuit and its fallout for all involved.
