How Claims of Racism at HRC Have Rocked the LGBTQ+ Nonprofit
The Advocate he could have moved on after his firing, but “I could not look the other way when injustice, unfairness, and hypocrisy showed up at my doorstep.”“The work of equality and justice is too important to back away or be underserved by an organization that can’t or won't live up to its own lofty goal of fighting for equality for all,” he adds. “It’s been said that sunlight is the best disinfectant, and I think it’s time to let some sunlight in.”HRC filed a legal response to David's suit early in March, saying he was fired after an internal investigation concluded that his work for Cuomo constituted a “conflict of interest between his personal interest and the interests of HRC and [was] inconsistent with the mission of the Organization.” It “damaged his reputation significantly enough to impair his ability to effectively serve as the public face and voice of HRC” and the HRC Foundation, its educational arm, the legal filing states.Also, in a statement issued when the lawsuit was filed, HRC’s interim president, Joni Madison, said the suit was “riddled with untruths” and that “some of the individuals he accuses of discriminatory behavior are people of color and champions of racial equity and inclusion.”“We are confident through the legal process that it will be apparent that Mr.
David’s termination was based on clear violations of his contract and HRC’s mission, and as president of HRC, he was treated fairly and equally,” she added.While that process has yet to play out, both David’s firing and his lawsuit have spurred talk about whether racism is pervasive at HRC, which since its founding in 1980 has often been perceived as an organization for wealthy white men.
