CEO Jed York issued an urgent alert stating that the world’s

San Francisco 49ers CEO Jed York stood on a makeshift stage last Sunday at Levi’s Stadium, savoring his team’s NFC Championship Game victory. York thanked 49ers fans, hugged Hall of Fame quarterback Joe Montana and clutched the George Halas Trophy.

The trophy presentation marked a rare public appearance for York, who has largely receded from day-to-day football matters. As the 49ers prepare to play in the Super Bowl for the eighth time in franchise history, the team’s top executive increasingly has turned his attention to off-the-field issues.

“Jed got out of the way,” said one source familiar with the 49ers’ business and political affairs. “He got out of football, and that has worked.”

San Francisco 49ers CEO Jed York is being sued for alleged insider trading and violations of federal securities laws, the San Francisco Chronicle reported.

Two lawsuits against York, 42, are connected to his role with the board of Chegg Inc., an educational company based in Santa Clara, California.

According to the report, York and other directors of Chegg Inc. are accused of concealing the company’s role in helping college students cheat on online tests. The lawsuits claim the students used a Chegg account to receive instant answers to questions on exams administered online.

The company’s revenue skyrocketed during the pandemic with the boom in online coursework, but revenue and stock prices plummeted when students returned to in-person classes. Stock prices peaked at $113.51 in February 2021 but are currently trading at less than $11.

Chegg CEO Dan Rosensweig, York and other company executives allegedly unloaded stock at the top of the market without informing investors about the extent of the cheating scandal.

The lawsuit claims York made $1.4 million on the sale of 20,000 shares at “artificially inflated prices.”

A Chegg spokesperson told the Chronicle that the lawsuits are “without merit.”

York, who became the 49ers president in 2008, has served on the Chegg board for the past 10 years. According to the Chronicle, he has made a $4.9 million profit on sales of company stock in that time.

“Mort was widely respected as an industry pioneer and universally beloved as a supportive, hard-working teammate,” Jimmy Pitaro, chairman of ESPN, said in a statement. “He covered the NFL with extraordinary skill and passion, and was at the top of his field for decades. He will truly be missed by colleagues and fans, and our hearts and thoughts are with his loved ones.”

ESPN’s Adam Schefter, a longtime colleague of Mortensen’s on ESPN’s “Sunday NFL Countdown,” said on social media: “An absolutely devastating day. Mort was one of the greatest reporters in sports history, and an even better man. Sincerest condolences to his family, and all who knew and loved him. So many did. Mort was the very best. He will be forever missed and remembered.”

Mortensen, who was diagnosed with Stage 4 throat cancer in January 2016, stepped away from his role at ESPN last year “to focus on my health, family and faith,” he said.

“Mort helped set the journalism standard in the early days of ESPN. His credibility, attention to detail and reporting skills catapulted our news and information to a new level,” Norby Williamson, executive editor and head of studio production for ESPN, said in a statement. “More importantly, he was a great teammate and human being. He personified care and respect for people which became the culture of ESPN.”