Former long-time security chief Godfrey Howard is taking the Memphis Grizzlies to federal court, claiming the team forced him out because of his race and age. In a wrongful-termination lawsuit filed this month in U.S. District Court for the Western District of Tennessee, Howard says he spent more than two decades on the franchise’s security team before his 2024 firing. He is asking for his job back, money damages and a jury trial.
What the lawsuit says
According to FOX13 Memphis, the complaint traces Howard’s time with the team to 2001, when he started in a part-time security role before moving into a permanent position about 12 years later. Court filings say he stepped in as interim director of security in 2023 after a resignation. The suit claims that when the Grizzlies chose a permanent director, they passed over Howard and then terminated him “on or about April 25, 2024.” The filing says he received no separation notice and no explanation for why he was let go.
Allegations about staff changes
The lawsuit alleges that before the new director came in, the Grizzlies’ security staff was almost entirely Black. It claims that since late 2023, most openings have gone to younger white men, a pattern the complaint labels a “phasing out” of Black officers. Action News 5 reviewed the lawsuit and reported that it identifies the new director as Jason Pagenkopf, who was allegedly hired instead of Howard. The suit argues that the shift in hiring and firing is not routine turnover but evidence of discriminatory practices.
What Howard is asking for
In addition to reinstatement, Howard is asking the court to order the Grizzlies to pay back wages and other monetary relief, and to let a jury decide his claims. The complaint says he filed a discrimination charge with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and received a Notice of Right to Sue, clearing the way for the federal case, as reflected in local reporting on the court papers. The filing also notes that the organization has more than 500 employees across its operations.
How the legal process works
A Notice of Right to Sue from the EEOC is usually required before a Title VII workplace-discrimination case can move ahead in federal court, while age discrimination claims under the ADEA follow a slightly different timetable. According to the EEOC, a person who files a charge can request a right-to-sue letter after 180 days or receive one when the agency wraps up its investigation. Once issued, the notice generally gives 90 days to file suit. That procedural step is what allowed Howard to bring his claims into federal court.
Local stakes for fans and downtown
The lawsuit lands while the Grizzlies’ long-term future downtown is still a live topic around Memphis, with lease and renovation talks ongoing between the team and city officials. lease talks dribble into overtime in coverage that highlights the broader economic stakes tied to the franchise’s presence. Any high-profile employment dispute at FedExForum could draw extra public attention as local leaders and businesses weigh what the next decade with (or without) the Grizzlies should look like.
What happens next
Because the case is filed in the Western District of Tennessee, the court will put a civil schedule in place that starts with serving the lawsuit on the defendants, followed by initial filings and a case management conference. Lawyers on both sides can expect a stretch of discovery, depositions and procedural motions before the question of liability ever reaches a jury or serious settlement talks, a process that often takes months. The Memphis office for the court will post new filings, orders and hearing dates on the public docket, according to the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Tennessee.
Howard’s complaint is the latest high-profile employment case involving a major event venue and is likely to draw close watching as both sides lay out their versions of what happened. Hoodline will continue tracking the docket and local coverage as the lawsuit moves forward.
