Sports
Phoenix Sun Owner Robert Sarver Suspended For 1-Year & Fined $10M For Saying The N-Word
Robert Sarver Suspended For 1-Year & Fined $10M For Saying The N-Word Repeatedly
Phoenix Suns team owner Robert Sarver was suspended for one season and fined $10 million following the NBA’s investigation into claims he ran a toxic environment of racism and misogyny.
The NBA said in a statement an independent investigation found Sarver “engaged in conduct that clearly violated common workplace standards, as reflected in team and League rules and policies.
This conduct included the use of racially insensitive language; unequal treatment of female employees; sex-related statements and conduct; and harsh treatment of employees that on occasion constituted bullying.”
The initial allegations came to light in an ESPN report last year. According to the NBA, the investigation found that Sarver – who is also the team owner of the WNBA’s Phoenix Mercury – “repeated the N-word when recounting the statements of others” at least five times.
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The NBA said Sarver “engaged in instances of inequitable conduct toward female employees, made many sex-related comments in the workplace, made inappropriate comments about the physical appearance of female employees and other women, and on several occasions engaged in inappropriate physical conduct toward male employees.”
He was also found to have treated employees harshly, the league said.
The NBA said its investigation, led by law firm of Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz. David Anders and Sarah Eddy, included interviews with 320 people, including current and former employees of Sarver’s. More than 80,000 documents and other materials were examined, and Sarver and team officials fully cooperated with the probe.
Even with its findings, the NBA said, “The investigation made no finding that Mr. Sarver’s workplace misconduct was motivated by racial or gender-based animus.”
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