BREAKING: Jason Rowley resigns as President & CEO of Phoenix Suns after allegations of workplace misconduct
News broke Monday afternoon that Phoenix Suns president and CEO Jason Rowley has resigned from his position. This decision comes on the heels of a story from ESPN that accused him of workplace misconduct.
When the story first broke, Rowley responded by saying he was misrepresented and had no intentions of stepping down. However, he's appeared to have changed his mind.
Phoenix Suns president and CEO Jason Rowley has resigned from the team, sources tell ESPN. twitter.com/baxter/status/…
All of this comes fresh off the Phoenix Suns going through an ownership transfer. Robert Sarver sold the team (and the WNBA's Phoenix Mercury) after an investigation from the league uncovered years of him creating a toxic work environment for employees.
Rowley joined the Suns organization in 2007 and was team president for over a decade.
Jason Rowley responds to misconduct allegations
During the investigations of Rovert Sarver, detailed accounts of those interviewed cited Jason Rowley in the misconduct as well. Some of the accusations confirmed in the ESPN story included verbal abuse, intimidation and mistreatment of pregnant employees.
In his response to the allegations, Rowley said that he was among those misrepresented and that he had no plans of "quitting on the team."
"I confided in them that the story misrepresented me and others. Also, given that the team is going through a period of ownership transition, I communicated that while I do not know my ultimate fate with new ownership, I will never quit on this team and the people who make up this great organization."
Some of his later responses to the story included taking accountability and offering apologies to anyone that he may have offended without knowing.
"Let me be clear: As I've stated in multiple employee gatherings, if at any point in the past 15 years I have made any of my co-workers feel poorly treated or at all uncomfortable, I apologize for having done so," Rowley's statement said. "If ever I appeared heavy-handed or overly direct, I take full responsibility for my behavior.
Jason Rowley deciding to step down as the Suns' president comes right as new owner Matt Ishbia took control. While the sale was agreed on months ago, he was set to officially become owner just before the NBA trade deadline.
As for the Suns, they continue to deal with this dark cloud hanging over their head. That being said, the team might finally be able to put this entire ordeal behind them. With Sarver and Rowley gone from their positions, they can now focus on the new era of the organization.