Suns Set On Fairness: Phoenix Suns Sued for Age Discrimination in Stunning Lawsuit
Former Phoenix Suns employee Jason Cope is suing the franchise for age discrimination after a push to make Cope and his coworkers independent contractors, according to Zach Buchanan of the Phoenix New Times. Cope was part of a team in the SunsVision department for over a decade and was going to send an email insisting that he and his coworkers receive many of their first raises since joining the department.
However, the email was never sent, but Cope believes the Suns’ management found out about the SunsVision team plan and wanted them to sign new agreements that made them part-time employees, losing benefits and overtime.
Jason Cope on the new agreement:
“It didn’t sit right with me,” Cope said t0 Phoenix New Times. “I was the last person to sign a contract because I was so against it.”
Cope believes his unsent email caused the change in his employment status and pointed out that many of the employees asked to transfer were middle-aged or older. The health benefits that the Suns provided tended to cost them more to provide for their older employees. The 46-year-old Suns employee highlighted that the franchise would hire younger employees for a full-time role after losing that status.
Sheree Wright of IBF Law is representing Cope and former team manager of diversity Andrea Trischan, who is also suing the team for racial discrimination and retaliation. The Suns responded to the lawsuits by pointing out Wright’s recent probation with the State Bar of Arizona because of numerous ethical violations.
Senior Suns vice president of communications Stacey Mitch on the lawsuit:
“This is yet another attempt by attorney Sheree Wright to engineer a lawsuit using false claims, and this time it is based on age discrimination. Ms. Wright is currently on probation by the Supreme Court of Arizona for unethical practices. This clearly defines her character, and we will not be extorted by her shameful scheme.”
The team will wait and fully address the lawsuit in court. Cope and Wright will bring up their concerns about age discrimination and an unsafe working environment with dead rats beneath PHX Arena. The amount in the lawsuit has not been disclosed, but Cope is still reportedly working on games despite the recent legal battle against the franchise.
