The NBA suspended Robert Sarver, owner of the Phoenix Suns and Mercury, for one year and fined him $10 million after an investigation uncovered racist and sexist workplace conduct, officials said Tuesday.
For the next year Sarver will be barred from all NBA and WNBA buildings, “including any office, arena, or practice facility,” according to a league statement.
He also won’t be allowed to participate in any NBA or WNBA event, represent the team in any capacity, have involvement in any team business or basketball operations or play any role in any league governance, the NBA said.
The NBA probe was sparked by a Nov. 4 ESPN story chronicling long-standing allegations of racism and misogyny within the Phoenix basketball operation.
The NBA commissioned a new York-based law firm, Watchell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz to lead its probe of Sarver and investigators interviewed 320 people, including current and former team employees.
Sarver, team management and employees “cooperated fully with the investigative process,” according to the NBA.
The probe found that Sarver, who has been managing partner of the franchise for 18 years, “on at least five occasions” repeated “the N-word when recounting the statements of others.”
He was also found to have “engaged in instances of inequitable conduct toward female employee, made many sex-related comments in the workplace, made inappropriate comments about the physical appearance of female employees and other women,” the NBA found.
The NBA executive also “engaged in demeaning and harsh treatment of employees” that “constituted bullying,” the league found.
A Suns representative could not be immediately reached for comment on Tuesday.
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Source: | This article originally belongs to Nbcnews.com
