Former Phoenix Suns employee Andrea Trischan had an emotional news conference Friday, hosted by the National Action Network Phoenix Metro on Friday outside Footprint Center, saying the franchise has attacked her character and continues to allow “toxic” behavior within the organization.
“The last year has been a roller coaster ride of emotions,” said Trischan as her attorney, Sheree Wright, stood beside her in support.
“For the last year, the Phoenix Suns and Mercury have had an opportunity to drag my name through the mud, assassinate my character and stand by the negative, toxic, racist, sexist, misogynistic behaviors that are still there despite Robert Sarver having to sell the team.”
Wright informed The Arizona Republic the plan is to file a formal complaint in the U.S. District Court of Arizona by Nov. 1.
Trischan filed a discrimination and wrongful termination complaint against the team seeking $60 million with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and the Arizona attorney general's office's civil rights division.
“My client is neither a gold digger nor the stereotype of an ‘angry Black woman’ who was incapable of doing her job, despite the misleading narrative that the Suns organization wants to promote,” Wright said. “The truth is quite the opposite. She is a highly competent and educated professional with a strong work ethic and deep-rooted family values. The discrimination she experienced within the organization was not only real but pervasive.”
Wright said the $60-million complaint was from a mediation statement submitted Aug. 15 to the attorney general’s office and Suns in preparation for a mediation the Suns initiated for Aug. 16.
“Her decision to speak up was not taken lightly,” Wright said. “She hoped to address the issues and create a better environment for herself and others. However, instead of acknowledging and addressing her legitimate complaints, the organization retaliated by terminating her employment.
"This was not about her performance or attitude. It was an attempt to silence her and make an example out of her. Her case is emblematic of a deeper issue within the organization that must be brought to light.”
Trischan was hired in September 2022 as the team's program manager of diversity, equity and inclusion, days after the NBA suspended Sarver and fined then-Suns team owner $10 million for “workplace misconduct and organizational deficiencies” found in the 10-month NBA investigation of his 18-year tenure as team owner.
Her job was to address issues the NBA pointed out in the Sarver investigation, but Trischan was let go less than 10 months into her position.
“When I landed my role with the Suns and Phoenix Mercury, I understood I was there to help them change and complete the mandates that were handed down by the NBA,” Trischan said at Friday’s news conference.
“As I continued to do my job and get to know other people within the organization to establish relationships and understand where we needed to start, I heard nothing, but grievances. I saw a lot of tears. I saw a lot of anger, frustration and sadness. There seems to be no accountability from the Suns executives.”
The Suns called the $60-million complaint “ridiculous” in a statement provided The Republic earlier this month.
“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 said in the statement.
"This individual filed a baseless charge with a state agency and is now trying to use ESPN reporting from 2022, specific to previous ownership, to make egregious claims in order to support her ridiculous demand for $60 million from the Suns organization."
Suns team owner Mat Ishbia bought the Suns and Mercury from Sarver for a record $4 billion in February 2023.
"To be clear, this individual is making false claims in an attempt to gain tens of millions of dollars," Mitch continued in the statement. "We are confident the courts will find no merit to these claims and quickly resolve this matter. The Phoenix Suns and Phoenix Mercury are creating a world-class organization for every employee. We will not let opportunists succeed in their attempts to manipulate the media and use years-old reporting to seek financial gain.”
Wright said they’ve received several calls from current and former Suns employees who have either just filed or preparing to file complaints with U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and the Arizona attorney general's office. They are currently vetting those cases.
Trischan said Friday the Suns still have the same issues despite Jason Rowley resigning from his CEO position right before Ishbia’s introductory press conference as team owner in February 2023
Rowley reportedly contributed to the toxic work environment under Sarver.
“Nothing else happened,” she continued. “All of the other senior-level executives still work in this building (while pointing back at Footprint Center). They’re still allowing the same behaviors that have always been there and the mandates that the NBA handed down were ignored.”
Wright specifically noted a racial comment Trischan heard during her time working for the Suns.
“A colleague remarked, ‘You guys only got Chick-fil-A because all Black people love fried chicken,’ a comment that was offensive and racially charged,” Wright said. “When she bravely reported this incident to HR, instead of taking corrective action, she was met with dismissive responses and was told to ‘brush it off,’ further marginalizing her concerns. This incident was not an isolated one, but part of a broader pattern of discriminatory behavior she faced in her role.”
Have opinions about the current state of the Suns? Reach Suns Insider Duane Rankin at dmrakin@gannett.com or contact him at 480-810-5518. Follow him on X, formerly Twitter, at @DuaneRankin .
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This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Former Phoenix Suns employee Andrea Trischan, critical of franchise, plans formal complaint
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