Former Hawks Employee Sues Team for Discrimination Against Whites

A former employee for the Atlanta Hawks filed a lawsuit against the team, accusing them of engaging in a pattern of discrimination against white employees.

According to the Washington Post, Margo Kline worked as a community development coordinator for the team and was fired in March 2017 after five years with the Hawks. She subsequently filed a charge of race discrimination and sex discrimination and retaliation with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, which in December gave her a notice of a right to sue.

In her lawsuit, Kline singled out her supervisor, Hawks external affairs director David Lee, who she described as “a black male,” for promoting “a culture of discrimination against white individuals” and accused Lee of the following:

• “Being dismissive and exclusionary” toward white employees, particularly white women.
• “Making jokes about white culture.”
• “Making it clear that he wanted to hire black individuals” and not “white females” when vacancies arose in his department.
• “Expecting and requiring more of white individuals, especially white females,” than black employees under his supervision.
• “Promoting and hiring less qualified black individuals” over white people, particularly white women.
• Being more apt to “offer raises and promotions” to black employees.

Kline asked for punitive damages, recompense for her fees related to her legal action and a jury trial.