Phoenix Suns sued by security director over discrimination after weapons breaches

The Phoenix Suns are being sued by a current staff member for alleged discrimination, harassment and retaliation.

Gene Traylor, the organization’s director of safety, security, and risk management, claims in his lawsuit that the team demoted him following a presentation regarding potential safety concerns surrounding the Sun and Mercury of the WNBA.

One instance the lawsuit included was when two plainclothes officers were able to bring a knife into a game on Dec. 17, 2023, in a test run by the Phoenix Police Department’s Homeland Defense Bureau. Nearly a year later, in a similar test, two handguns and a knife made their way through security.

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The Phoenix Suns logo on the court before a game against the New Orleans Pelicans at Footprint Center.  (Brett Davis-Imagn Images)

The suit also alleges that the Suns failed an audit by the NBA.

The Suns said the allegations are “delusional and categorically false.”

“Guest safety is our top priority,” a Suns spokeswoman said in a statement to ESPN. “We continue to meet and exceed safety expectations. We regularly conduct security tests, which is standard across the industry. We have used these proactive measures to ensure we are operating at the highest level of safety and preparedness.”

Traylor also showed concern for a part-time employee apparently stealing $40,000 worth of merchandise, a “disgruntled subject” interrupting a team photo-op, and a political provocateur approaching Brittney Griner.

Footprint Center before a game between the New Orleans Pelicans and Phoenix Suns.  (Brett Davis-Imagn Images)

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It’s the fourth lawsuit against the team over the last seven months, all of which allege discrimination.

Attorney Sheree Wright represents all of the defendants, but the Suns issued scathing remarks about her.

“The Supreme Court of Arizona has twice disciplined attorney Sheree Wright for committing numerous violations of the rules of professional conduct, and she is currently serving a two-year probation with the State Bar of Arizona,” the spokeswoman said. “This time, Ms. Wright and her client have made absurd accusations of misconduct surrounding the security department of the Phoenix Suns . . . .

“Ms. Wright continues to recruit former and now current employees and is manipulating them to file meritless lawsuits.”

In a statement of her own, Wright said that “these are not vague accusations. They are specific, detailed, and backed by witnesses, documentation, and corroborating evidence.”

Phoenix Suns fans in the stands during the final seconds of the fourth quarter of game five of the 2021 NBA Finals against the Milwaukee Bucks at Phoenix Suns Arena.  (Joe Camporeale-USA Today Sports)

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Mat Ishiba purchased 57% of the team in 2023 after former owner Robert Sarver sold it following allegations of misconduct.

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