Jan 14, 2026; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers president Art Rooney II speaks at a press conference at Acrisure Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

Former Employee Sues Steelers, Art Rooney II

Originally posted on Pittsburgh Steelers on SI
By Noah Strackbein | Last updated Jan 18, 2026 12:00 PM ET

The Pittsburgh Steelers and Team President Art Rooney II are now dealing with a lawsuit from a former employee. According to the Tribune-Review, Allegheny County resident Chelsea Zahn filed a six-count lawsuit in federal court against the Steelers shortly into the offseason.

Zahn claims she faced discrimination and unequal pay due to her gender and sexual orientation. Zahn was the Steelers sales manager from 2013-2014 and claimed it was a "hostile work environment" and that Rooney denied her more than $50,000 in commissions in 2024.

“In 2024, Zahn earned $100,625 in commission, a number she called the highest sponsorship-related figure earned by any corporate sales manager that year, the lawsuit said.”

Zahn's attorney claims Rooney "decided not to pay her the entire … amount owed." The reasoning is because "Mr. Rooney was ‘upset that (she) left the company."

Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

Instead, Zahn was given a check for $50,000, of which she did not cash. She claims the reasoning for not cashing the check was because she was not paid in the full amount due to her being a gay woman.

According to the lawsuit, Rooney's reasoning was "pretextual and unworthy of belief as heterosexual male employees of the defendant were paid their full bonuses/commissions owed to them after they had left their employment with defendant."

According to WTEA, Zahn is claiming emotional, psychological, and physical distress and is alleging gender discrimination, retaliation, and violations of the Equal Pay Act, the Civil Rights Act, and human relations law

"This is a disappointment to all Steelers fans, that the team we all follow so closely is involved in discriminating against women and against people who are not heterosexual,” said attorney Joel Sansone, whose firm filed the lawsuit, according to the Tribune-Review.

“We intend to follow this all the way through,” Sansone added. “Personally, this is hard for me. I bleed black and gold. But my firm wants to make sure the team we all love follows the rules in this country."

Team spokesperson Burt Lauten told the Tribune-Review, "We won’t be commenting."

Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

The Steelers are currently spending their offseason searching for a new head coach after Mike Tomlin stepped down following his 19-year run with the team. Rooney and general manager Omar Kahn are leading the committee in charge of finding their next head coach, with a new lawsuit now being brought into the equation as well.

This is a developing story. Steelers On SI will continue to provide updates on the lawsuit as more information becomes available.

This article first appeared on Pittsburgh Steelers on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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