TOXIC WORKPLACE

Phoenix Suns Employee Quits, Claims She Was Retaliated Against for Reporting Misogyny

Melissa Fender Panagiotakopoulos claimed in her resignation email that she faced retaliation after raising concerns of gender discrimination.

After working for the Phoenix Suns for 15 years, Melissa Fender Panagiotakopoulos quit last month, claiming in her resignation email that she faced retaliation after alleging gender discrimination, according to documents reviewed by ESPN. In her May 20 resignation email, which was sent to majority owner Robert Sarver and others, Panagiotakopoulos makes myriad allegations, including inadequate communication from human resources and questioned whether “certain males were being paid more in equivalent roles.” According to her resignation, Panagiotakopoulos raised similar concerns of gender discrimination to HR in a November memo and has since faced retaliation, including heightened scrutiny and exclusion from events. “My job has grown more intolerable and toxic than ever,” Panagiotakopoulos wrote.