Annette Brooks, a former IBM employee in New York, filed a federal racial discrimination lawsuit in White Plains. Brooks worked at IBM for 26 years and most recently served as vice president for IBM Z Data and AI before being laid off. The lawsuit alleges consistent preferential treatment of South Asian employees over Black employees and claims qualified Black employees were removed to appease the Trump administration and maintain favorable status with the Defense Department and other government agencies. IBM denied the allegations, stating they are baseless and that race played no role in the termination. The lawsuit also describes workplace troubles beginning in 2024 after Brooks began reporting to a South Asian executive, with most direct reports also South Asian.
"A former New York-based IBM employee accused the company of favoring South Asian workers at the expense of African Americans, and blamed the Trump administration's anti-diversity, equity and inclusion policies as the impetus for the alleged wrongful treatment, according to a racial discrimination lawsuit filed in federal court in White Plains."
"The plaintiff, Annette Brooks, worked at IBM for 26 years, according to the lawsuit, most recently as vice president, IBM Z Data and AI, but was laid off last year, amid what she alleges was "consistent preferential treatment of South Asian employees over Black employees within IBM.""
"The lawsuit, which seeks $1.1 million in damages and other costs, also claimed that IBM removed several qualified Black employees "in order to appease the Trump administration, and to remain favored by the Defense Department and other government agencies with large IBM contracts.""
"A spokesperson for IBM, a global technology company with headquarters in Armonk, said in a statement that the allegations were "baseless" and that race had played no role in the plaintiff's job termination, adding that the company does not tolerate discrimination of any sort."
Read at Gothamist
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