America First Legal sues IBM’s Red Hat over DE&I practices

Red Hat, a subsidiary of IBM, was sued by a former employee earlier this week over claims that he was fired for being white and male. The former employee is being represented by conservative group America First Legal (AFL).

Zoom in. The suit claims the plaintiff, Allan Kingsley Wood, an Idaho resident who worked for Red Hat from 2015 to 2023, was “subjected to discriminatory treatment and terminated because of Red Hat’s DEI policies.”

It further claims that when Red Hat instituted DE&I efforts in 2021, executives indicated that representation goals would dictate hiring and employment decisions. The suit goes on to say that the company made negative comments about white workers, while expressing concerns about the low number of women employees. Wood was terminated in July 2023, along with 21 other employees, most of whom were white and male. He also alleges that he was discriminated against for his religious beliefs and vocalizing his objections to DE&I.

Red Hat has disputed Wood’s claims. “These allegations are baseless, as neither race nor gender played any role in the decision to end this individual’s employment with Red Hat. Discrimination of any kind is not tolerated by Red Hat or IBM, and it has no place in the cultures or practices of either organization,” Stephanie Wonderlick, VP of brand experience and communications at Red Hat, told HR Brew in an emailed statement.

One of many. This is not the first time that AFL, which is run by former Trump administration adviser Stephen Miller, has targeted IBM. AFL filed a complaint with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission in December, alleging the company tied executive pay to DE&I practices, Bloomberg Law reported.

AFL has filed more than 100 legal actions against DE&I initiatives since 2021, according to the New York Times, leading some companies, including Starbucks and Kontoor Brands, to change their language around DE&I goals, HR Brew previously reported.

Yes, but. Regardless of the lawsuits and anti-DE&I legislation passed in several states, many companies say they’re still committed to diversity and plan on increasing their DE&I budgets in the coming year.