The former president of the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) has sued the organization and the Human Rights Campaign Foundation in federal court, alleging that he was underpaid and then terminated "because he is Black" and saying the HRC has a "deserved reputation for unequal treatment of its non-white employees," NBC News reported
Alphonso David, a Black attorney who led the HRC for more than two years, was fired in September after a report by New York Attorney General Letitia James described how he had helped "discredit" a sexual-harassment accuser of former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo.
Davidwho was Cuomo's chief counsel from 2015 to 2019 and was HRC's first Black presidenthas denied any wrongdoing.
In his lawsuit, filed in the Eastern District of New York, David contends that he was fired "because he is Black" and that the group "maintained discriminatory employment practices." David alleges that while discussing his contract renewal, HRC board members "acknowledged" that he was paid less than his white predecessor "because of his race."
He also says that he was repeatedly discouraged from discussing race in public.
The HRC's interim president, Joni Madison, said in a statement that David's role in assisting Cuomo led to his termination and that the lawsuit is "riddled with untruths."
She added, "We are disappointed that Alphonso David has chosen to take retaliatory action against the Human Rights Campaign for his termination which resulted from his own actions, while serving as the Human Rights Campaign's (HRC) president, to assist former Gov. Andrew Cuomo's team in responding to allegations of sexual harassment against former Governor Cuomo.
"We are confident through the legal process that it will be apparent that Mr. David's termination was based on clear violations of his contract and HRC's mission, and as president of HRC, he was treated fairly and equally. Notably, some of the individuals he accuses of discriminatory behavior are people of color and champions of racial equity and inclusion who provided support and guidance as Mr. David led the organization. Also, the Executive Committees, constituted of independent directors, were [composed] of seven individuals, five of whom are Black."
The entire NBC News article is at www.nbcnews.com/nbc-out/out-news/human-rights-campaigns-first-black-leader-sues-firing-alleging-racial-rcna14726. David's lawsuit is at docs.google.com/document/u/1/d/e/2PACX-1vS47Dl-CUtpFtLg5chDZZly1Be86nrd0xCSb6mY48-xNqPtKvHri8nsNhYqC3mUnSLx1oIcYjb5QUQP/pub .