A former director at Planned Parenthood is suing the organization for racial discrimination she claims she endured for months while working there.
Nicole Moore, who until last year served as director of multicultural brand engagement at the reproductive rights organization, filed a lawsuit in Manhattan federal court alleging that the company has long ignored complaints of unfair treatment from Black employees.
According to Moore, Black workers experience hostility and harassment in addition to discrimination in hiring, pay and promotions. “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 claims that after repeatedly complaining about unfair treatment, she was put on a performance improvement plan before being fired last year.
According to Susan Manning, the organization’s interim general counsel Planned Parenthood strongly dispute the plaintiff’s allegations and categorically deny her claims of discrimination, the New York Times reports.
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,” Ms. Manning said.
However, Moore said in a statement provided by her attorneys that discrimination in the workplace at Planned Parenthood has a direct impact on Black women’s access to and satisfaction with the organization’s reproductive healthcare services.
“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?” she said.
Moore is seeking unspecified damages based on the accusations of race discrimination and retaliation by Planned Parenthood, which is in violation of federal and New York state and city laws.