>> 10 MILLION DOLLARS. THAT’S
HOW MUCH A FEDERAL JURY HAS
AWARDED A MAN WHO SAYS HE WAS
FIRED FOR BEING A WHITE MALE.
DAVID DEVAL, A FORMER TOP
EXECUTIVE AT NOVANT HEALTH IN
NORTH CAROLINA CLAIMS HE WAS
LET GO IN 2018 BECAUSE OF THE
COMPANY’S EFFORTS TO DIVERSIFY
LEADERSHIP POSITIONS. NO
PERFORMANCE ISSUES WHATSOEVER.
JUST OUT OF THE CLEAR BLUE SKY
WAS FIRED 5 DAYS SHORT OF HIS
5TH YEAR WHEN HE SUPPOSED TO
GET A BUMP IN SEVERANCE FROM
12 TO 18 MONTHS GIVEN HIS
TENURE LUKE LARGEST IS
DUVALL’S ATTORNEY.
>> HE ARGUED THE TERMINATION
WAS A VIOLATION OF THE CIVIL
RIGHTS ACT WHICH BANS
WORKPLACE DISCRIMINATION ON
THE BASIS OF RACE OR GENDER
NOVANT HEALTH DENIED FIRING
DUVAL FOR THE, QUOTE SOLE
PURPOSE OF ACHIEVING DIVERSITY
IN COURT DOCUMENTS. THEY
ALLEGE DUVAL WAS TERMINATED
FOR, QUOTE, DEFICIENT
PERFORMANCE AND DELEGATION OF
THE CRITICAL DUTIES OF HIS
POSITION TO HIS SUBORDINATES.
WHAT WAS YOU ALL’S RESPONSE TO
THOSE CLAIMS. THEY WERE
COMPLETE NONSENSE IN RECENT
YEARS. THERE HAVE BEEN SEVERAL
HIGH-PROFILE CASES ALLEGING
DISCRIMINATION AGAINST WHITE
WORKERS, INCLUDING LAWSUITS
AGAINST YOUTUBE, GOOGLE AND
STARBUCKS. THIS VERDICT COMES
AS CALLS FOR GREATER EQUITY
AND INCLUSION IN THE WORKPLACE
GROW. AND AS COMPANIES AIM TO
ADDRESS HISTORIC HIRING PAY
AND PROMOTION GAPS THAT HAVE
DISADVANTAGED MINORITY
WORKERS, ALTHOUGH THERE MAY BE
SOME DISCRIMINATION AGAINST
WHITE PEOPLE MOST OF THE
DISCRIMINATION STILL DOMINATES
AGAINST BLACK PEOPLE IN RACIAL
DISCRIMINATION, ACCORDING TO A
WIDE RANGING 2021, REPORT BY
MCKINSEY WHITE MEN MAKE UP 35%
OF ENTRY LEVEL EMPLOYEES
BUTTER. 62 1% OF ALL C SUITE
EXECUTIVES THAT’S COMPARED TO
MINORITIES WHO ACCOUNT FOR
JUST 17% OF TOP EXECS. THAT’S
WHY SOME COMPANIES ARE TURNING
TO CONSULTANTS LIKE ALLISON
MAN’S WELL, FOR HELP.
INCREASING DIVERSITY. WHAT
SHOULD COMPANIES BE THINKING
ABOUT AS THEY’RE WORKING TO
DIVERSIFY THEIR RANKS WITHOUT
RUNNING AFOUL OF THE LAWS THAT
PROTECT AGAINST
DISCRIMINATION. IF IT IS
LEADING TERMINATION, PEOPLE
DESERVE A FAIR CHANCE TO
CORRECT THEIR BEHAVIOR MAKE
ANY CHANGES WE NEED TO
LANGUAGE THAT STARTS TO SOUND
LIKE THIS, MEANING WE HAVE
THESE GOALS THAT WE SET FOR
2020 AND MAKE IT SOUND AS IF
WE’RE GOING TO BULLDOZE OUR
WAY TO THOSE GOALS, MAKE
ILLOGICAL UNFAIR DECISIONS IN
THE PROCESS. A SPOKESPERSON
FOR NOVANT HEALTH TELLS NBC
NEWS THEY ARE QUOTE, EXTREMELY
DISAPPOINTED WITH THE VERDICT.
>> VOWING TO PURSUE ALL LEGAL
OPTIONS, INCLUDING APPEAL
ADDING THIS VERDICT WILL NOT
CHANGE NO VAN HELPS STEADFAST
COMMITMENT TO DIVERSITY
INCLUSION AND EQUITY FOR ALL.
WHAT MESSAGE DO YOU HOPE THIS
VERDICT SENDS. THE MESSAGE IS
NOT TO ABANDON DIVERSITY
INCLUSION. IT’S TO DO IT
LEGALLY DO IT LAWFULLY.
>> ALRIGHT PRISCILLA THOMPSON
JOINS US NOW ON SEPARATE. SO
YOU’RE JUST TELLING ME THEY
ARE GOING TO APPEAL THIS. YOU
SPOKE TO A LOT OF LEGAL
EXPERTS IS GOING TO SET A
LEGAL PRECEDENT.
>> WELL, TO BE CLEAR, THE
LEGAL EXPERTS WE SPOKE TO SAY
LESS THAN 10% OF THESE A
RACE-BASED DISCRIMINATION
CASES INVOLVED WHITE PEOPLE.
THE VAST MAJORITY OF THEM ARE
PEOPLE OF COLOR. BUT THERE IS
CONCERN THAT THIS WILL SET A
PRECEDENT OR HAVE FAR-REACHING
IMPLICATIONS FOR MANY
COMPANIES THAT MAY BE LOOKING
TO INCLUDE THESE DIVERSITY
EQUITY AND INCLUSION EFFORTS
WHO SAY THEY’RE GOING TO STAY
AWAY FROM IT BECAUSE THEY
DON’T WANT TO FACE THESE TYPES
OF ALLEGATIONS THAT WE SHOULD
ALSO POINT THIS OUT FOR FOR
VIEWERS. THIS HAPPENED IN
2018. THIS HAPPENED. PRE
GEORGE FLOYD BEFORE COMPANIES
TRY TO WIN STARTED TO REALLY
LOOK AT THEIR COMPANIES AND
THERE WAS THE RACIAL
RECKONING.
>> RIGHT. AND THERE WAS A
MOVEMENT GOING ON BEFORE PRIOR
TO THE MURDER OF GEORGE FLOYD
INCLUDING IN 2015 WITH THE
OSCARS. SO WHITE CONTROVERSY
AND IN 2016 WHEN THE U.S.
WOMEN’S SOCCER TEAM FILED
THEIR DISCRIMINATION SUIT
SUIT. THE GENDER WAGE
DIFFERENCES. AND SO THIS IS
SOMETHING THAT WE’VE SEEN AND
EXPERTS THAT I SPOKE WITH SAID
THAT SOME OF THESE LAWSUITS
ARE PUSHED BACK FOLKS WHO HAVE
BEEN HISTORICALLY OVER
REPRESENTED IN THE WORKPLACE
AND NOW THESE WORKPLACES ARE
BECOMING MORE DIVERSE AND IT
CAN FEEL LIKE DISCRIMINATION
WHEN IN ACTUALITY IN MANY
CASES IN MOST CASES. IN FACT,
EXPERTS I’VE SPOKEN WITH SAID
THIS IS JUST EQUITY. ALRIGHT
PRISCILLA THOMPSON. THANK YOU