$10M Awarded to Former Exec , Who Said He Was Fired , Because He’s a White Male.
A North Carolina jury has awarded $10 million to a man who claims he was fired from a hospital system because he is a white male.
NBC reports that in 2018, David Duvall was fired as senior vice president of marketing and communications at Novant Health, Inc.
In 2019, Duvall filed suit
against his former employer.
According to Duvall's lawsuit,
he was terminated without cause, "as part of an intentional campaign
to promote diversity in its management ranks.".
This October,
a federal jury trial
was held to hear
the case. .
NBC reports that the jury found that Duvall's termination was motivated by his race or sex.
According to NBC, Novant Health
has denied those allegations. .
In court filings, the Winston-Salem company said
that he was fired over subpar performance and
delegating critical duties to subordinates.
We are extremely disappointed in the verdict, as we believe it is not supported by the evidence presented at trial, which includes our reason for
Mr. Duvall's termination. We will pursue all legal options, including appeal, Novant Health spokesperson, via statement.
Luke Largess, Duvall's attorney, said that the former executive was fired days before his fifth anniversary, which would have entitled him to a larger severance.
The message is not to abandon
diversity and inclusion,
it's to do it legally, Luke Largess, Attorney for David Duvall, via NBC