(WBBM NEWSRADIO) — Richard Dent — a member of the 1985 Chicago Bears — is accusing an energy company of racism in the way he was pushed out of some big energy contracts.
Dent has been in the energy-distribution business since 1999, and he had contracts with a company called Integrys. But that company was bought out by Constellation New Energy.
Dent said Constellation cancelled four contracts worth millions and accused him of sexual harassment and more. But the company wouldn't identify the alleged victim, the Pro Football Hall of Famer says.
He sued to learn the identity of his victim, and that issue is before the Illinois Supreme Court.
Dent says he did nothing wrong and says this is racism. Southern Christian Leadership Conference President Charles Steel Jr. sides with Dent, saying White America isn't known for sharing power.
"They don't want Black folks to be entrepreneurs. They don't want Black folks to make money," Steel said.
Constellation officials say the accusations against Dent were confirmed by an independent third-party investigation. They said his charges of racism "insulting and baseless."
Dent is the guest on this weekend's "At Issue" program, which airs at 9:30 a.m. and 9:30 p.m.
Here is the full response from Constellation:
"Constellation terminated its at-will relationship with RLD Resources, Inc. following inappropriate behavior by Mr. Dent that was confirmed through an independent third-party investigation. The suggestion that Mr. Dent's contract was terminated based on race is insulting and baseless. Prior to separation in February of 2022, Constellation and Exelon proudly served some of the nation's largest and most ethnically diverse metropolitan areas—including Baltimore, Chicago, Washington, D.C., and Philadelphia. As a standalone company, Constellation remains committed to ensuring our workforce and culture reflect the diversity of our customers and our communities."
