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“While the organization typically does not
comment on internal personnel matters, Mr. Traylor, or his
attorney, Sheree Wright, apparently opted to publicize his
termination," Stacey Mitch, the Suns' senior vice president of
communications, said in a statement.
"Mr. Traylor was terminated from his position as a security
manager because an independent, outside investigation concluded
that he violated company policies with respect to confidential
information about security operations and he was intentionally
untruthful with the investigator.”
One of the lawyers representing Traylor — Cortney Walters —
responded that her client's firing was not part of a “legitimate
investigation.”
“It was a retaliatory act disguised as policy enforcement,”
Walters said in a statement. "It is part of a broader pattern of
discrimination and retaliation that we have outlined in this
lawsuit and in several others we have filed. The Suns have
cultivated a workplace culture that silences employees who raise
concerns, punishes those who speak up, and protects those in
power. We will continue to confront this toxic culture and stand
by our client to hold the Suns accountable.”
ESPN first reported that Traylor had been fired.
In the May lawsuit, Traylor alleges that a security presentation
he gave to management led to retaliation by members of the
organization, and that he was eventually demoted.
Traylor’s suit also says that the Suns failed multiple arena
security tests. It alleges that the Phoenix Police Department’s
Homeland Defense Bureau conducted tests in 2023 and 2024 and
plainclothes officers were able to smuggle weapons into the
arena.
Traylor’s suit is the latest of multiple legal actions against
the Suns and WNBA team Phoenix Mercury, which are both owned by
Mat Ishbia.
In November, Andrea Trischan sued the team, alleging racial
discrimination and unlawful retaliation that led to her
termination. Trischan was the team’s former manager of
diversity, equity and inclusion for about 10 months in 2022 and
2023.
Earlier this month, former Mercury interim coach Nikki Blue
filed a lawsuit against the organization, alleging unequal
treatment based on race and gender, unequal pay based on race
and that her employment was terminated in retaliation for
complaints about unequal treatment.
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