The Carolina Panthers are removing the statue of former owner Jerry Richardson from its current location in front of Bank of America Stadium, saying they “are concerned there may be attempts to take it down.”
The team announced Wednesday that the statue is being relocated to an undisclosed location.
“We were aware of the most recent conversation surrounding the Jerry Richardson statue and are concerned there may be attempts to take it down,” the team said. “We are moving the statue in the interest of public safety.”
Richardson sold the Panthers to David Tepper in 2018 after an investigation substantiated allegations against Richardson of sexual and racial misconduct in the workplace.
Tepper said upon purchasing the Panthers that he was “contractually obligated” to keep a 13-foot-high statue of Richardson outside of the team’s stadium.
The allegations against Richardson included three cases of sexual harassment and the use of a racial slur toward a team scout.
Richardson also was fined $2.75 million by the NFL in 2018. The independent investigation stated that the team failed to report the allegations or any resolution agreements to the league.
