A former Novant Health executive is suing the health system for wrongful termination and discrimination — he says he was fired to help the organization reach diversity goals, reports The Charlotte Observer.
The lawsuit, filed Nov. 18, alleges David Duvall, former senior vice president of marketing and communications, was fired in 2018 without warning just before his five-year anniversary at the Winston-Salem, N.C.-based health system, despite receiving good performance reviews. Mr. Duvall — a white man — was reportedly replaced by two people, a white woman, who was named chief communications officer, and a black woman, who was hired to lead marketing, according to the report.
"Novant fired plaintiff without warning or cause as part of an intentional campaign to promote diversity in its management ranks; a campaign it has boasted about publicly," the lawsuit states, according to the report
The filing also says five other white male executives were replaced by female and/or minority candidates over about a year and a half.
Novant Health declined The Charlotte Observer's request for comment due to corporate policy regarding legal matters. Read the full story here.
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