Former Executive Sues Chiefs for Racial Discrimination, Wrongful Termination, and Cover-Up

A lawsuit seeking $5 million along with additional damages from the Kansas City Chiefs over discriminatory employment practices based on race.

Former Executive Sues Chiefs for Racial Discrimination, Wrongful Termination, and Cover-Up

Clark Hunt (Image via IMAGO)

The Kansas City Chiefs find themselves in serious trouble. A complaint has been filed in the Western District of Missouri accusing the team of unlawful discriminatory employment practices based on his race. The former employee in question is one Ramzee Robinson.

Robinson is seeking a sum of $5 million, along with additional declaratory and equitable relief from the Kansas City Chiefs for the team’s actions as per The Athletic. Robinson served as the Director of Player Engagement for the Chiefs. He has been with the team for nearly a decade.

Robinson, who identifies as an African American male, was responsible for managing the locker room, player-coach mentorship, and managing three employees. His complaint alleges that the team did not compensate him on a similar scale to that of his counterparts.

His annual compensation during his tenure at Arrowhead Stadium was $125,000, but he claims that his peers across the league were receiving, on average, $171,932. Upon approaching team president Mark Donovan seeking a raise in pay, Robinson’s request was denied. The reason cited for the refusal was that the employee had been given previous raises, which rendered him ineligible for another increment.

It does not end there. The lawsuit goes on to allege that Kansas City has discriminated between paying African American employees and white employees. Robinson cites an instance in the lawsuit where the team was paying an African American female employee in a management position a salary of $50,000. Post her resignation, the same role was filled by one Melissa Weinsz for a salary of $80,000 per year.

The lawsuit accuses the Kansas City Chiefs of covering up an act of violence

Interestingly, the suit mentions that the same Melissa Weinsz was attacked by the team’s Vice President of Administration, Kirsten Krug. Robinson mentions that Krug called him into her office, where he saw her attack Weinsz, a White woman who worked directly under Robinson.

Clark Hunt
Clark Hunt (Image via IMAGO)

Robinson quit his role with the Chiefs at the end of February. The aforementioned incident allegedly took place on the 15th of February. The chronology of events is interesting as Weinsz went on to get promoted to a role with a substantial pay hike. The aggrieved claims that the incident has been preserved on the team’s security cameras, but his supervisor did not cooperate when he requested that he show the video.

The lawsuit further alleges that Kansas City Chiefs interfered in Robinson’s attempt to secure employment elsewhere. Before his termination, Robinson had expressed interest in taking on a role with the Houston Texans. However, to interview him, the team required the green light from the Chiefs’ management.

The team did not cooperate and justified its decision by claiming that such an act would violate Robinson’s contract. The former employee believes the team did this deliberately as an act of retaliation and tortious interference with his business expectancy.

The team’s Vice President of Football Communications, Brad Gee, refused to comment on the ongoing matter until it is resolved in court.

We can’t comment because it’s an active legal matter, but to be clear, the Chiefs do not tolerate discrimination of any kind. We look forward to the facts of this case coming to light.

Brad Gee told Pro Football Talk

Notably, the complaint states that the Chiefs fired Robinson for engaging in “conduct detrimental to the league,” and that his supervisor “suggested” he was the one who “attacked his White female co-worker, Melissa Weinz.” The court is likely to rely on this video that Robinson has claimed exists, but he is unable to access.

If the events match the description he has given in his complaint, then this situation will turn ugly for the Chiefs. The league will not be happy if Kansas City finds itself on the wrong side of this one. If not, Robinson will not have a lot of ground to stand on.

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