Latest news with #RamzeeRobinson
NBC Sports
10 hours ago
- Sport
- NBC Sports
Ramzee Robinson sues Chiefs for wrongful discharge, tortious interference
After his playing career ended, Ramzee Robinson spent nine years working for the Chiefs. In the aftermath of the termination of his employment, Robinson has sued the Chiefs. PFT has obtained a copy of a lawsuit filed Monday by Robinson in a Missouri federal court. The 11-page complaint accuses the Chiefs of wrongful discharge on the basis of race, retaliatory discharge arising from complaints regarding pay disparities and inequities based on race, and tortious interference with business expectancy. Robinson worked as the team's director of player engagement. He alleges that his pay fell behind comparable positions with other teams, and that team president Mark Donovan 'rejected Plaintiff's requests for a compensation review and/or salary increase.' Robinson also contends that the 'KC Chiefs paid African-American business employees less than their white counterparts.' On the last theory, Robinson claims that the Texans requested to interview Robinson, and that the Chiefs refused. They told the Texans an interview would violate Robinson's contract. The complaint doesn't address the obvious question of whether the Chiefs were entitled to refuse permission under the tampering policy. The Chiefs will have the right to respond to the complaint, either by answering the allegations or filing a motion to dismiss the case. It's also possible that Robinson's contract contains an arbitration clause, given the habit of the NFL's teams to push non-player legal claims into the secret, rigged kangaroo court presided over by the Commissioner. If so, look for the Chiefs to make an aggressive attempt to force Robinson's case out of open court.
Yahoo
12 hours ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Former Chiefs employee, ex-NFL DB Ramzee Robinson sues Chiefs, alleging racial discrimination
Ramzee Robinson, seen here during his playing days with the Lions, has sued the Chiefs for alleged racial discrimination during his time with the team as an employee. (AP Photo/Amy Sancetta) Former Kansas City Chiefs employee and ex-NFL player Ramzee Robinson has sued the Chiefs, alleging racial discrimination. Robinson, who is Black, filed the lawsuit in the Western District of Missouri on Tuesday. Front Office Sports first reported the lawsuit. Per the lawsuit, the "Chiefs paid African-American business employees less than their white counterparts." Advertisement The lawsuit claims that the Chiefs "unlawfully discriminated and retaliated against Plaintiff based on his race" and "unlawfully terminated" Robinson. The Chiefs have not responded to a request for comment from Yahoo Sports or anyone else as of this writing. What the lawsuit claims Per the lawsuit, Robinson worked as Kansas City's Director of Player Engagement from 2016 to 2025. The lawsuit states that he started in his position with a salary of $35,000 before earning a final salary of $125,000. The lawsuit claims that the average salary for Robinson's position was $171,932.00. Per the lawsuit, Robinson sought a salary review with team president Mark Donovan. According to the lawsuit, Donovan rejected the request while declaring that the "Chiefs had previously given him raises." Advertisement The lawsuit states that Donovan pressured Robinson into renewing his contract and that once he signed it, the Chiefs refused a request from the Houston Texans to interview him for a job, stating that an interview would be in violation of his contract. Lawsuit addresses Robinson's termination The lawsuit states that Robinson's supervisor, executive vice president of administration Kirsten Krug, called him into her office on Feb. 15, 2025 and told Robinson that he had engaged in "conduct detrimental to the league.' Per the lawsuit, Krug "suggested" that Robinson "attacked" a white female co-worker and that there was security video evidence of the alleged incident. Krug "refused to show Plaintiff the video," according to the lawsuit. Krug then fired Robinson, according to the lawsuit. Advertisement Per the lawsuit, Robinson "maintained a good working relationship with his direct reports and a great rapport with the players." The lawsuit also claims that an "African-American female" resigned from a management position with the Chiefs after the team refused to give her a promotion or raise from her $50,000 salary. The lawsuit claims that the Chiefs then hired a white woman for the same position with a salary of $80,000. The lawsuit states that Robinson's "race was a motivating factor in Defendant's actions against Plaintiff." It seeks unspecified compensatory and punitive damages to address "emotional distress, lost wages, including front and back pay and other benefits, reasonable attorneys' fees and costs necessary for litigation." Robinson, 41, played three seasons in the NFL as a cornerback. The Detroit Lions selected him as the last player taken in the 2007 NFL Draft. He played in 19 games across two seasons with the Lions and finished his playing career splitting the 2009 season with the Cleveland Browns and Philadelphia Eagles. He did not play for the Chiefs.
