When David Tepper bought the Carolina Panthers in 2018, one stipulation of the sale was that the statue of disgraced former owner Jerry Richardson was to remain.

That’s why it was surprising to see a report Wednesday that a crew was working on taking the statue down.

Joe Bruno of WSOC was on the scene and reported that Charlotte Department of Transportation closed down the road near Bank of America Stadium so the statue could be taken down.

The Charlotte Observer’s Scott Fowler reported the statue is being removed for safety reasons, according to a team source. Fowler reported the team will characterize it as a temporary arrangement.

The team confirmed it was for safety reasons.

Richardson sold the team during a scandal reported in December of 2017 that included many stories of workplace misbehavior. The NFL fined Richardson $2.75 million after it substantiated the claims that were of a sexual and racial nature.

There has been debate and even legal cases about removing statues, often of Confederate figures, during recent protests about racial injustice. In some instances, statues have been torn down or vandalized.

Richardson, the original owner of the Panthers who is now 83 years old, had a history of racial misconduct.

The statue remained on the north end of the stadium due to Richardson insisting on it during the sale.

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