June 16th 2023.
Ryan Marshall, the CEO of PulteGroup, is facing severe consequences after one of the plaintiffs against him revealed the harassment they experienced for reporting racist behavior within the company. Idus Hartsfield, a former employee of PulteGroup, spoke out about the incident in which an executive “openly waved” a noose in front of employees, including at least two Black employees, while warning them “not to hang themselves.”
Hartsfield said that the incident was like “getting dumped in a bucket of ice” and that it caused him a great deal of anxiety. He said that it was this anxiety that ultimately compelled him to report the incident to the human resources department.
However, after Hartsfield reported the incident, he said that he was repeatedly “written up for non-issues” until he was terminated in May 2020. Hartsfield had been with the company for four years prior and had never been written up before.
PulteGroup released a statement describing the allegations as “reprehensible,” but a second plaintiff, Richard Turnbow, stated that not only was CEO Ryan Marshall aware of the “noose incident,” but he covered it up and terminated the black employees that blew the whistle.
Turnbow added that Marshall has not sent him or his fellow litigants an apology and that the Atlanta office is a mess and is run by the CEO. He and two other Black former PulteGroup employees have secured legal representation from the Zausmer Law Firm to pursue CEO Ryan Marshall and other named PulteGroup senior executives in a sweeping conspiracy to reward personal loyalty over merit and, in some specific cases, white employees over Black employees.
Jim Zeumer, vice president of investor relations and corporate communications for PulteGroup, told Lansing CBS affiliate WLNS Channel 6: “Our company leadership is committed to ensuring an environment of inclusion where all people are respected and valued. What is depicted in the images is despicable and has no place in our company nor in our society. The allegations are not consistent with our values and corporate culture.”
In response to the allegations, CEO Ryan Marshall released a statement acknowledging racism in the company. However, Turnbow said that Marshall passed responsibility for the “noose incident” and sought to downplay the racism by saying that it happened in 2019. Turnbow added that Marshall doesn’t care about equality or diversity and that he should apologize and let them move on with their lives.
The case is being pursued under the Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act in Michigan, where PulteGroup was founded in 1950 and maintains its registered office. PulteGroup is a Fortune 500, publicly traded company, listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the “PHM” ticker symbol. It is the third-largest homebuilder in the country. This news first appeared on blacknews.com.
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