If you’ve worked in charity work or the nonprofit sector, then you probably know that even well-intentioned enterprises often suffer from the same bureaucratic breakdowns and discipline issues as many other sectors. Just because a particular organization is charitable does not necessarily mean that they treat employees fairly.
Recently, a woman in St. Louis filed a lawsuit against her former employer, a shelter that rescues stray dogs. The woman claims that she was unfairly terminated from her position after she approached her superiors with concerns over the way that black individuals were treated. According to her suit, the woman witnessed numerous instances of black employees receiving unfair treatment. The woman also claimed she witnessed her director of operations throw away the job application of a black person as soon as the applicant left the building.
After making her concerns known to her superiors, the woman claims that she was terminated. The woman alleges that the founder of the charity called her on her day off and fired her over the phone, despite the fact that the woman claims the founder does not hold the power to do such a thing. The executive director later confirmed the termination, and contended that it was taking steps to address any instances of discrimination.
Unfortunately, these types of things happen far more often than we’d like to think. If you believe that you’ve suffered unfairly for reporting discrimination at your place of employment, do not hesitate to reach out to an experienced employment law attorney. You deserve all the help you can get to stand up for far treatment in the workplace.
Source: St. Louis Post-Dispatch, “Former Stray Rescue employee alleges nonprofit fired her for voicing discrimination concerns,” Christine Byers, Aug. 24, 2017
