Jerry Jones Responds To 'Racial Insensitivity' Claims In Jim Trotter Lawsuit

Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones has given his response after being accused of making racially insensitive remarks by reporter Jim Trotter.

Trotter formerly worked for the NFL Network but was let go earlier this year when his contract was not renewed. He has since taken a job with The Athletic.

However, it was revealed Tuesday that Trotter had filed a racial discrimination lawsuit against the NFL, and in it, he levied accusations against Jones and Buffalo Bills owner Terry Pegula.

Trotter alleged in his suit that he spoke to Jones in 2020 and asked him why there weren't more Black professionals in decision-making roles throughout the league. He claimed that Jones responded. “If Blacks feel some kind of way, they should buy their own team and hire who they want to hire.”

The reporter claimed that when he attempted to bring this alleged comment on air, his superiors at the NFL wouldn't allow it.

However, the Cowboys owner has now released a statement vehemently denying Trotter's claim.

"Diversity and inclusion are extremely important to me personally and to the NFL," Jones said in a statement. "The representation made by Jim Trotter of a conversation that occurred over three years ago with myself and our VP of Player Personnel Will McClay is simply not accurate."

Pegula also denied the accusations levied against him. Trotter claimed that Pegula said, “If the Black players don’t like it here, they should go back to Africa and see how bad it is.”

According to The New York Times — which owns The Athletic where Trotter currently works — Trotter's lawsuit claims the comment was made during a video conference attended by 40 NFL Media employees in 2020. Trotter's account alleges that he heard about the alleged remark from a colleague.

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Matt is a University of Central Florida graduate and a long-suffering Philadelphia Flyers fan living in Orlando, Florida. He can usually be heard playing guitar, shoe-horning obscure quotes from The Simpsons into conversations, or giving dissertations to captive audiences on why Iron Maiden is the greatest band of all time.