A former Kansas City Chiefs front office member is suing the franchise for tortious interference, race discrimination and retaliation.
Former NFL cornerback Ramzee Robinson worked for the Chiefs for the past nine years, most recently as the director of player engagement, according to a copy of the lawsuit obtained by USA TODAY.
In the lawsuit filed with the District Court for the Western District of Missouri, Robinson alleges that six days after working Super Bowl 59, he was called to his manager’s office and told that he had engaged in ‘conduct detrimental to the league.’ Robinson states this alleged conduct was attacking one of his direct reports. He alleges that his manager stated it was recorded on security cameras but refused to show him the video.
The lawsuit states the Chiefs terminated his employment on Feb. 15, 2025, and replaced him with the direct report he allegedly attacked.
The franchise has declined to comment on the lawsuit.
“We can’t comment because it’s an active legal matter,” Brad Gee, Chiefs vice president of football communications, told Pro Football Talk via text message. “But to be clear, the Chiefs do not tolerate discrimination of any kind. We look forward to the facts of this case coming to light.”
What you need to know about the lawsuit:
Chiefs lawsuit explainer
Robinson says the Chiefs used him as a ‘liaison to the players,’ meaning he was on-call for players ‘when they got in trouble, had family emergencies (death, injury, etc.), needed help with community engagement, or relocation,’ per the lawsuit.
The suit states he was involved in crisis management, locker room management, peer-to-peer relationships and player-to-coach mentorships. It also alleges that Robinson was on-site in New Orleans in February 2025 for the Chiefs’ game against the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl 59, serving in a variety of roles.
Six days later, he was terminated from his position.
Robinson alleges that the Chiefs pay different salaries to employees based on race. His example was a former Black female employee who resigned after the franchise refused to give her a pay increase. Her replacement, a white female employee, allegedly received a 60% higher salary.
Robinson also alleges that he was declined the opportunity to interview for a similar position with the Houston Texans months before his termination. That interview request came after Chiefs president Mark Donovan allegedly ‘pressured (Robinson) to renew his contract and claimed that the contract would offer him stability.’ That event is part of the reasoning for the retaliation count.
The tortious interference stems from the Chiefs not allowing Robinson to interview with the Texans.
Who is Ramzee Robinson?
Robinson was the final selection of the 2007 NFL Draft (No. 255 overall) to the Detroit Lions. He spent two seasons with the Lions and played in 19 total games. He split the 2009 season between the Eagles (three games) and Cleveland Browns (four games).
He was an offseason member of the Washington Commanders in 2010 before being cut during final roster cuts. After two seasons out of football, he tried a comeback with the Denver Broncos but was a final roster cut again in the 2012 offseason.
In 26 total games played, Robinson tallied 37 tackles, one pass defensed and one fumble recovery.