The Phoenix Suns organization has been at the middle of its fair share of drama. Suns owner Mat Ishbia is in the middle of a lawsuit against the team's minority owners. One of the NBA's more outspoken owners also updated his employees' handbook in order to protect the team from future lawsuits. The move has created ripples around the league.
According to ESPN's Baxter Holmes, the newest addition to the handbook had to be accepted by all Suns employees if they wanted to keep their jobs. The agreement protects the franchise from future lawsuits from its workforce. However, the organization still has to work through the ones that are in progress.
Having those kinds of agreements in a handbook is an unusual step for any team to take.
The Suns are in the middle of disputes from employees claiming discrimination. According to Courtney Walters, a lawyer representing some of them, Phoenix's new handbook's purpose is to discourage employees from speaking out against the team.
“From the beginning, we have said we will hold the Phoenix Suns accountable for discrimination and retaliation. Instead of addressing these issues, the organization is pressuring employees to sign away their rights with only three days' notice or risk losing their jobs,” Cortney Walters said. “Mandatory arbitration denies people their day in court and hides systemic problems from the public. This latest move is not an isolated decision. It is part of a continuing pattern of silencing employees rather than confronting discrimination. The Suns' actions make clear that protecting their image matters more to them than protecting people.”
Ishbia has made promises to the Suns and their fanbase that he hopes to uphold. However, the lawsuit against him from Phoenix's minority owners and former employees makes that difficult. The owner has a lot of hoops to jump through in order to make his desires a reality.
