Photo: Getty Images
Planned Parenthood has been hit with a lawsuit by a former Black employee who alleges she was fired in an act of retaliation for complaining about racism in the workplace, per NBC News.
On Wednesday (October 19), Nicole Moore, who was Planned Parenthood’s director of multicultural brand engagement until last year, filed a complaint in Manhattan federal court claiming that the reproductive health organization has for years turned a blind eye to reports of discrimination by its Black employees.
According to Moore, Black workers at Planned Parenthood face discrimination in hiring, pay, and promotions and overt hostility and harassment.
“Instead of addressing the issues, Planned Parenthood has doubled down by punishing employees of color who dare to speak up,” Moore’s lawyers wrote in the complaint.
Moore says she was placed on a performance improvement plan and ultimately fired after she spoke out about biased treatment.
In response to the suit, Susan Manning, the interim general counsel for Planned Parenthood, told the New York Times: “We strongly dispute the plaintiff’s allegations and categorically deny her claims of discrimination.”
The organization’s “top priority for our dedicated staff is building a culture of diversity across the organization to fulfill our mission of reproductive health for all,” Manning said.
Moore claims that workplace discrimination at Planned Parenthood directly affects the access Black woman have to quality reproductive healthcare from the organization.
“If staffers are dealing with anti-Blackness, retaliation, and disregard in the workplace, how can we then expect this organization to possibly deliver compassionate care to Black women who are seeking their services?” Moore said in a statement provided by her lawyers.
Through the suit, Moore is seeking unspecified compensatory, economic and punitive damages, alleging that Planned Parenthood violated federal and New York state and city laws.
Get the latest news 24/7 on The Black Information Network. Listen now on the iHeartRadio app or click HERE to tune in live.