Kansas City Chiefs Face Racism Lawsuit from Former Player and Employee
A significant lawsuit has been filed against the Kansas City Chiefs by former NFL player Ramsey Robinson and a team employee. Robinson, who dedicated nine years to the organization, claims that the Chiefs “terminated a director of player engagement based on race” and paid fewer African American employees than their white colleagues, expressing dissatisfaction with his comparatively low salary.
This complaint was filed in the Western District of Missouri earlier this week. It alleges that Robinson, who is Black, was dismissed in February after he accused his supervisor, Kirsten Krug, of assaulting a white female colleague named Melissa Wines. The complaint indicates that Krug allegedly witnessed the incident via security footage.
Robinson’s lawsuit asserts that Krug failed to provide the video when requested, and further claims that she made statements implying that Robinson was somehow a threat around white female colleagues.
Additionally, the lawsuit mentions that Krug encouraged Wines to take over Robinson’s position as director of player engagement, despite Wines lacking relevant experience for the role.
Robinson began his career with the Chiefs in 2016, initially earning a salary of $35,000. After being promoted to Director of Player Engagement, his salary increased to $125,000. Although it seems like a substantial raise over nine years, the lawsuit points out that Robinson’s compensation is significantly below the average salary for a director of player engagement, which is reported to be $171,932—nearly $50,000 more than he earned.
Furthermore, Robinson asserts that Chiefs President Mark Donovan refused to discuss his salary with him. The lawsuit also claims that the team replaced a Black female employee who earned $50,000 per year with Wines, who was allegedly offered an $80,000 salary for the same role.
Robinson also claims that his attempts to seek opportunities with other teams were obstructed by the Chiefs.
He is now seeking a resolution through the court system. A former player for the Alabama Crimson Tide, Robinson has also played for teams like the Lions, Eagles, and Browns during his three-year NFL career.
