Former Hot 97 Executive Sues Radio Station For Discrimination

by Cedric ‘BIG CED’ Thornton

March 27, 2024

Stanley Pillman III additionally alleges that Funkmaster Flex and Sizzling 97’s SVP of gross sales “had been concerned in potential kick-backs and theft of firm funds.”

An accusation of discrimination has been levied towards the hip-hop radio station Sizzling 97, as a white former government with the station says he was terminated for being “too white for the job.”

In line with The Day by day Beast, former VP of digital operations at Sizzling 97, Stanley Pillman III, has filed a lawsuit on the New York State Supreme Court docket on Monday, March 25, stating that MediaCo Holding, the mother or father firm of Sizzling 97 is accused of retaliation and discrimination in violation of the state’s human rights and labor legal guidelines. He additionally has claimed that DJ Funkmaster Flex has been accepting kickbacks from advertisers and after reporting that to the station, he was fired as retaliation.

“Pillman’s employment was terminated in retaliation for his protected complaints or on the idea of his race,” the swimsuit states. He desires his place again, together with again pay, compensatory damages for emotional hurt, punitive damages, and lawyer’s charges.

Pillman’s lawyer, Robert Valli, advised the media outlet, “We investigated, and we decided, in our opinion, that there was retaliation for protected exercise. Right here, it’s discrimination and talking out about what we declare to be protected actions.”

Pillman claims that final 12 months, in January 2023, after working on the station since February 2021, he was summoned to a gathering with MediaCo CEO Rahsan-Rahsan Lindsay and COO/President Brad Tobin.  He has alleged that Lindsay knowledgeable him that “there was a sense across the workplace” that the VP didn’t know “something about hip-hop” and he wanted to hearken to the station. Pillman stated he requested them, “Are you attempting to say I’m too white for the job?” and he claims that Lindsay replied by saying, “Sure,” and Lindsay stated that Pillman was a minority on the station.

He additionally accused Flex of telling some fellow staff that “the white boys are stealing from us,” referencing Pillman and Tobin, who was additionally white final July. He then advised Sizzling 97’s Human Sources division that Flex and Sizzling 97’s SVP of gross sales “had been concerned in potential kick-backs and theft of firm funds.” Then, in August, Pillman’s lawyer despatched a letter to MediaCo “complaining about Pillman being topic to office discrimination, retaliation, and a hostile work setting.” He was then terminated on Aug. 31, 2023. He says that on that very same day, Flex allegedly went on air and referred to as him out by saying, “You’re a bozo, efficient instantly.”

After being let go, he stated a “Hispanic male” took over his job and was later changed by a “Black Male.”

He additionally alleges that Tobin’s contract was not renewed, and he was “changed by a Black male.”