A former Memphis Grizzlies basketball team security leader has sued the team, alleging he was passed over for promotions and fired illegally based on his age and race. Godfrey Howard, 61, who is Black, began working for the Grizzlies as a part-time security worker in 2001, while also serving as a n officer for the Memphis Police Department, where he has worked since 1993. Godfrey Howard, Sr. (center) at Shepherd Spinal Center in Atlanta with Memphis Police Chief Cerelyn J. Davis (left) and his wife Carrol Howard in August, 2025. (Photo: Memphis Police Department Facebook Page) In 2013 he was promoted to Team Security for the Grizzlies at the FedEx Forum in Memphis, where he was responsible for ensuring the players’ security during home and away games, including during travel, according to his lawsuit filed on March 5 in U.S. District Court in Tennessee (and obtained by Atlanta Black Star). From 2013 to 2021 he opted to work in security for the FedEx Forum, and then resumed working for the Grizzlies security team in 2021. In 2023, he was appointed the Team Security Team Leader, for which his job duties included overseeing security at the airport and during business trips, the complaint says. When the director of team security resigned in September of 2023, Howard took on the role on an interim basis. Two months later, Jason Pagenkopf, a “younger white male,” was hired as the permanent director of team security, a disappointment to Howard who was never formally offered the position or made aware the Grizzlies were hiring for it. Shortly after the season ended that year, Pagenkopf called Howard in to inform him of two security leadership positions coming available, including director of arena and team security, which Howard asserts he had the seniority and experience to perform well. Those two positions went to “a young male” and “a young white male,” the lawsuit says. Instead of being promoted to a new position, Howard was terminated in April 2024 without being given a reason, the complaint says, despite never having been disciplined or written up for anything during his employment. All Grizzlies security team positions were originally held by Black individuals, the complaint says. But since Pagenkopf became the security director, almost all positions have been filled by young white men. Howard contends that he was fired because he is Black and because of his age, in violation of the federal Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act, and other civil rights laws mandating equal employment opportunities. He seeks a jury trial to determine damages, including lost back pay, front pay, lost benefits, legal costs, and compensatory damages for emotional distress. He also seeks punitive damages, and argues that he’s entitled to be reinstated to his former position with all back pay and benefits. Howard remains employed by the Memphis Police Department, where he serves as a tactical officer. Recent social media posts by the department indicate he was injured last year and spent months recovering at the Shepherd Spinal Center in Atlanta.The Memphis Grizzlies declined to comment on the lawsuit beyond issuing a statement that said, “We are committed to ensuring fair and equitable employment practices, and this claim is without merit.”Defendant Memphis Basketball, LLC, which owns the Grizzlies, has 21 days after being served with the lawsuit to file a response in court. Blackballed? Former Security Lead Claims Memphis Grizzlies Are Replacing All-Black Security Team with White Officers In Federal Discrimination Lawsuit ...read more read less