The Phoenix Suns are currently dealing with a tsunami of lawsuits from former employees. These lawsuits make shocking claims of widespread workplace harassment, discrimination, and security breakdowns. Examples Andrea Trischan, former program manager of diversity, equity, and inclusion, was at the center of controversy Jason Cope, a longtime SunsVision department member, and Gene Traylor, director of safety, security, and risk management, are mired in it.
Andrea was the inaugural Research and Evaluation Lead from September 2022 through July 2023. Beginning in November 2024, she filed 10 lawsuits against the Suns franchise. The alleged unlawful acts in the suit include harassment, racial discrimination, retaliation, and wrongful termination during her 4 ½ years working with the organization. Trischan’s accusations underscore a distinct pattern of troubling workplace culture in the franchise.
Fast forward to March 2024 and Cope was suing the Suns. He was a long time diligent member of the SunsVision department since 2009. He alleged that the organization had purposefully misclassified him as an independent contractor, which barred him from receiving critical benefits and overtime pay. Cope’s case joins a burgeoning list of lawsuits and complaints about treatment of employees in the franchise.
His successor, Gene Traylor, who joined the Suns in January 2023, filed his own lawsuit in May 2025. His charges further allege that there was inappropriate behavior in the chapter’s headquarters, for which he’s pursuing damages in an unspecified amount. Initially, Traylor had filed an idea presentation for the management. In it, he detailed the alarming instances of misconduct that he saw and experienced while employed by the organization.
The Suns’ issues run deeper than toxic workplace allegations against any individual staffer. The public transit organization has been under intense criticism regarding its security — or lack thereof — after a string of failed security audits, done at the behest of the NBA. The team had reportedly failed several league security audits starting in 2024. The experience only got worse during a field test on December 3, 2024. Her credit card was declined, but security personnel had failed to detect two handguns and one knife being smuggled into the arena.
A separate field test conducted by the Phoenix Police Department’s Homeland Defense Bureau in December 2023 found that officers were able to bring a knife into the arena without being detected, further raising alarms about the effectiveness of the Suns’ security protocols.
Mat Ishbia purchased a controlling interest in the National Basketball Association’s Phoenix Suns for $2.28 billion in December 2022. After completing his purchase, Ishbia reiterated a desire to change the workplace culture of the firm.
“I want to make this the best place to work,” – Mat Ishbia
He stressed that developing a place where workers want to come and succeed is key.
Faced with the upcoming allegations and legal actions, the Suns had no choice but to act. They put out rebuttals to the accusations from ex-employees. They characterized Trischan’s allegations as part of a “transparent and calculated attempt to shift the public narrative” regarding the organization’s culture and practices.
The Suns answered those critiques by defending their security measures, particularly regarding the new audits.
“Guest safety is our top priority. We continue to meet and exceed safety expectations,” – Phoenix Suns
The team already routinely tests their security as a matter of course like any other professional industry practice would. They are committed to providing the highest possible margins of safety.
Vicente Gonzales is a key player in this developing drama. He previously worked for the Suns organization as a senior team member relations specialist. Earlier this year, in April 2025, Gonzales used LinkedIn to blow the whistle on wrongdoing at the nonprofit. He shared his experience feeling muted during his tenure there.
“I was silenced,” – Vicente Gonzales
Gonzales’s stories of being dissuaded from reporting negative news were sobering. He received pushback when attempting to raise the bar on the organization’s investigatory procedures.
Even with these challenges, the Suns have been criticized for their choice of legal counsel. Disciplinary action by the Supreme Court of the State of Arizona against attorney Sheree Wright was reported. The court ruled against her for over 25 different counts of professional misconduct. The Suns fired back at the criticism over their legal counsel. In response, they released a public statement strongly disputing Wright’s and her client’s allegations.
“This time, Ms. Wright and her client have made absurd accusations of misconduct surrounding the security department of the Phoenix Suns. These allegations are delusional and categorically false,” – Phoenix Suns
The Suns are reportedly trying to remedy all these allegations and improve their organizational culture as Ishbia takes over. They don’t shy away from acknowledging the harm done during the past ownership.
“There were significant challenges with the culture under the previous ownership. We’re very proud of the work we’ve done to create a new culture under the leadership of Mat Ishbia,” – Phoenix Suns
As the lawsuits continue, alarming new revelations about internal culture and external threats are coming to light. No question though, it will be fascinating to see how smoothly the Phoenix Suns can sail through this stormy stretch.
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