NFL Reaches Settlement with Journalist Jim Trotter Over Discrimination Lawsuit

Former NFL Media journalist Jim Trotter announced on Wednesday that he reached a settlement with the National Football League (NFL) regarding a lawsuit he had filed, accusing the league of failing to address institutional discrimination. Trotter, who claimed his contract was not renewed due to his advocacy for diversity and racial equality, revealed that the NFL has agreed to make a donation to a scholarship foundation he initiated for journalism students at historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs).

“I am proud to have the opportunity to help and support HBCU students to achieve their goals and dreams, just as scholarships afforded me those opportunities when I was a student at Howard University,” Trotter stated.

Trotter’s attorney, David Gottlieb, praised his client for creating the charity, saying, “Jim should be applauded for using this opportunity to create a charity with the mission of helping Black sports journalism students and creating more diversity in his field, consistent with the goals of his lawsuit from the start.” As part of the settlement terms, specific details were not disclosed publicly, and the NFL did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Trotter, who started working for The Athletic after leaving NFL Network, highlighted in his September 2023 complaint that his previous employer did not renew his contract because he persistently addressed issues regarding the league’s diversity practices. In his legal complaint, Trotter recounted an incident where he questioned NFL commissioner Roger Goodell on why there was no Black person in senior management within the NFL Media’s newsroom, a discussion that took place during a news conference at the Super Bowl in February 2023.

The lawsuit also involved allegations against two high-profile NFL team owners, Jerry Jones of the Dallas Cowboys and Terry Pegula of the Buffalo Bills, for making racially insensitive remarks. Public statements from Pegula termed the claims “false,” while Jones contended that Trotter’s recounting was “not accurate.”

The NFL had previously asserted that Trotter’s allegations were unfounded and that the non-renewal of his contract was a decision based on “a challenging economy and a changing media environment,” rather than retaliation. Trotter’s lawsuit called for a court-ordered monitor to review and revise the NFL’s hiring and advancement policies, with an emphasis on improving the representation of Black employees across its operations.