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A jury awarded a white man $10 million after he accused his former employer of firing him because he's white.
David Duvall worked at Novant Health, Inc. in North Carolina as the senior vice president of marketing and communications and was fired in 2018 after two women –– Kate Everett, who is white and Vicky Free, who is Black –– were promoted and brought on to fill his role as two separate positions.
According to reports, Duvall says he was terminated without explanation just days away from his fifth work anniversary with the hospital and forced to immediately vacate the premises. Duvall's lawsuit says he regularly received good reviews from supervisors and that his team rated his performance high, too.
Duvall also claims he wasn't the only one to be fired and that in the year and a half after his termination, at least five other white executives were replaced by a Black person or a woman.
His attorneys say it was all a part of the hospital's plan to boost diversity by 2020 and that the hospital's actions violate Title VII of the Civil Rights Act which prohibits workplace discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, and national origin.
Novant has denied the allegations, and said its reasons for firing Duvall were listed at the civil jury trial.
"We are extremely disappointed in the verdict, as we believe it is not supported by the evidence presented at trial, which includes reason for Mr. Duvall's termination," a Novant spokesperson said in a statement. "We will pursue all legal options, including appeal."
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