Phoenix Suns vice chairman Jahm Najafi called Thursday for team owner Robert Sarver to resign, saying there should be 鈥渮ero tolerance鈥� for lewd, misogynistic and racist conduct in any workplace.
by the NBA on Tuesday, after a 10-month investigation showed the Suns owner had used racist language, made crude and sexually suggestive comments to employees, and had bullying tendencies.
鈥淚 cannot in good judgment sit back and allow our children and future generations of fans think that this behavior is tolerated because of wealth and privilege,鈥� Najafi wrote in a letter released through a public-relations firm. 鈥淭herefore, in accordance with my commitment to helping eradicate any form of racism, sexism and bias, as Vice Chairman of the Phoenix Suns, I am calling for the resignation of Robert Sarver.鈥�
Najafi has been critical of Sarver throughout this saga, which broke when ESPN released a story in November detailing widespread claims of wrongdoing by Sarver. That reporting prompted the NBA to commission an investigation. Najafi is one of three vice chairmen for the Suns, with several other minority investors also part of the ownership group.
Once the investigation ended, decided a one-year suspension and $10 million fine was the appropriate penalty. He said Wednesday that one key finding by outside investigators 鈥� that while Sarver 鈥渞epeated or purported to repeat the N-word on at least five occasions spanning his tenure with the Suns,鈥� investigators made 鈥渘o finding that Sarver used this racially insensitive language with the intent to demean or denigrate鈥� 鈥� likely spared him a much stiffer penalty.
LeBron James of the Los Angeles Lakers and Suns guard Chris Paul later released statements on social media saying the NBA鈥檚 sanctions of Sarver didn鈥檛 go far enough.
Najafi agreed. In his letter, he also said he has 鈥渘o interest鈥� in becoming the managing partner.
鈥淪imilar conduct by any CEO, executive director, president, teacher, coach or any other position of leadership would warrant immediate termination,鈥� he said in the letter released through the LAVIDGE public relations firm. 鈥淭he fact that Robert Sarver 鈥榦wns鈥� the team does not give him a license to treat others differently than any other leader. The fact that anyone would find him fit to lead because of this 鈥榦wnership鈥� position is forgetting that NBA teams belong to the communities they serve.鈥�
Najafi鈥檚 letter was released on the same day and some of the city鈥檚 councilmembers released a statement saying they were 鈥渁ppalled by the actions鈥� that were detailed in the Sarver report.
鈥淚t is unacceptable for the organization鈥檚 leadership to be associated in any way with the despicable actions detailed in the report,鈥� that statement said. 鈥淲e are equally concerned about a culture that would enable these actions to occur time and again, with 鈥� at most 鈥� ineffective disciplinary action.鈥�
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Tim Reynolds, The Associated Press
