Dive Brief:
- The city of Philadelphia allegedly subjected a former diversity, equity and inclusion officer to sex- and race-based discrimination, harassment and retaliation, according to a lawsuit filed Monday (Anderson v. Philadelphia, et al.).
- The officer alleged a series of discriminatory actions, culminating in her firing for reporting a direct report’s harassment. She also alleged the individually named defendants “made and published false and defamatory statements” about her, “branding” her as having engaged in workplace misconduct and wrongdoing.
- The case is among the latest in allegations made by current and former DEI professionals — or workers in protest of DEI policies — as the department has spurred an abundance of legal action.
Dive Insight:
Prior to being hired by the city of Philadelphia as a DEI officer, the plaintiff worked for the city as a chief racial equity strategist in 2022. She allegedly experienced sexual harassment at the hands of her then-supervisor; after reporting him, she was terminated. She was re-hired by the city under a new administration in 2024.
The officer alleged her HR manager stripped her of the ability to hire, manage or discipline staff. The chief of staff allegedly complained about the plaintiff’s direct reports and the mayor allegedly told the DEI officer that she didn’t care about the plaintiff’s “DEI ideology.” The deputy mayor allegedly forbade the plaintiff and her team from speaking publicly about equity.
At one point, management advised the plaintiff to target the then-executive director of LGBTQ+ affairs, a transgender worker, and to build a case against the worker in an effort to oust them. The plaintiff also called out a “blackface” caricature in the city newsletter to little success regarding corrective conduct; her manager also brushed her off regarding a disclosure of rape.
Finally, the plaintiff alleged that she began to experience retaliation — and was eventually terminated — after reporting the sexual harassment of a direct report by another colleague. The worker, who allegedly sent a “semi-nude” image of himself via a dating application, is White, while the plaintiff and the direct report, who was also allegedly fired, are both Black, per court documents.
The worker alleges the city violated Title VII of the Civil Rights Act as well as the Civil Rights Act of 1866 and the First Amendment.
Notably, late last year, an HR manager’s termination was ruled not to be wrongful and biased due to the gap in time between alleged incidents and firing as well as a lack of evidence. Additionally, earlier this month, an HR professional’s bias lawsuit has been kept afloat due to ignored investigations, among other evidence.
Workplace experts have addressed the issues that arise when human resources or talent professionals raise concerns about workplace conduct to no avail. Attorneys told HR Dive that the cost can be steep when this occurs. The most crucial aspects of airtight workplace investigations, attorneys said, are proper intake processes for complaints and exercising discretion — especially when conduct falls outside of legal mandates or existing workplace policies.
“We do not comment on pending litigation. Our record and commitment is clear — the Parker administration prides itself on fostering a diverse, safe, inclusive, and welcoming workplace,” a spokesperson for the city of Philadelphia’s law department told HR Dive.
