Former NFL Network reporter Jim Trotter filed a racial discrimination lawsuit Tuesday against the league and its cable channel, accusing them of not renewing his contract because he criticized the sports lack of diversity among its coaches and other leaders, along with other examples of overlooking blatant racism.

The 53-page complaint from Trotter, who is Black, was filed in a Manhattan federal court. In it, he alleges that the league retaliated against him for challenging NFL Commissioner Roger Goodells deplorable record on hiring, retaining and advancing Black leaders across the organization including in the NFL newsroom.

The NFLs treatment of Trotter, who is now a columnist for The Athletic, is consistent with a documented history of silencing, retaliating against and blackballing Black men who speak out about such conduct, the lawsuit states. This is the NFLs modus operandi and part of the fabric of the league, it continued, pointing to the leagues treatment of quarterback Colin Kaepernick for igniting the national anthem protests .

Trotter provided a timeline of events leading up to his termination, starting with an NFL executive telling Trotters agent last fall that there was no reason to expect his clients contract wouldnt be renewed. The following February, Trotter called out Goodell during an NFL press conference, saying: Ive worked at NFL media for five years, and during those five years weve never had a Black person in senior management in our newsroom. Thats a problem. He had made a similar comment last year, the lawsuit states.