On Tuesday, September 1, 2026, Brandon Pulley filed an amended complaint in the United States District Court for the District of South Carolina against Charter Communications, LLC, doing business as Spectrum. Pulley, a former employee, alleges race discrimination under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and 42 U.S.C. § 1981.
The lawsuit stems from Pulley’s termination on July 30, 2025, after eight years of employment with Charter Communications. Pulley, a white male, claims he met and exceeded job expectations and had no prior disciplinary issues. His base salary was approximately $65,000 annually, with total compensation ranging between $75,000 and $85,000, including commission bonuses. Pulley had been promoted to sales supervisor and worked the 10 am to 7 pm shift, which he states received better commission bonuses due to team performance.
The complaint details an incident on or about July 15, 2025, where Pulley shared a celebratory GIF in a team group chat with approximately 500 employees. The GIF depicted a Bored Ape NFT image, which Pulley states he used to celebrate the third sale of the hour, consistent with internal practices for sales encouragement. Pulley asserts he was unaware of the race of the person he was responding to and did not intend to be racially offensive. Shortly after sharing the image, a coworker expressed offense, and Pulley promptly removed it.
Following his termination, Charter Communications offered Pulley a job on the 3 pm to 12 am shift, which Pulley states is typically reserved for newly hired supervisors and receives lesser commission bonuses. He argues this offer was not comparable to his previous supervisor position. The company also denied his request for backpay and an explanation for why he could not return to his previous schedule. Pulley claims this resulted in months of unemployment, financial loss, emotional distress, and delayed access to critical medical and family-planning care, including the loss of health insurance benefits.
Pulley’s complaint alleges that similarly situated supervisors of other races, including African American, Hispanic, and White individuals, previously used similar Board Ape NFT images without facing discipline.
An investigation by Charter’s Ethics Department reportedly determined Pulley’s termination was wrongful and that he did not engage in misconduct. Pulley contends that Charter misinterpreted his use of the GIF due to his race and treated him differently from other supervisors based on his race, making his race the direct and proximate cause of his termination.
The amended complaint includes claims for race discrimination under Title VII and 42 U.S.C. § 1981. Pulley is demanding a jury trial and seeking damages, including economic losses, mental and emotional suffering, reputational harm, humiliation, loss of salary and benefits, back pay, front pay, reduced income and retirement benefits, and punitive damages. He also requests reasonable attorneys’ fees and costs, pre-judgment interest, and equitable relief, including reinstatement or front pay.
The complaint also addresses a potential arbitration agreement, with Pulley asserting he did not agree to arbitrate and that Title VII claims are not subject to arbitration.
Please contact BlockTribune for access to a copy of this filing.
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