March 15th 2024.
A former director of civil rights and equal opportunity in Kansas City, Andrea Dorch, has taken legal action against the city and City Manager Brian Platt. Dorch claims that she faced discrimination during her time in the position, citing systemic bias and a pattern of retaliation against those who challenged the status quo.
According to the lawsuit, Platt threatened to fire Dorch in April of 2023, using a violation of the city's residency rule as a false excuse. However, Dorch, a 47-year-old Black woman, believes that this was just one part of a larger plan to push out certain employees, particularly Black women like herself, by selectively enforcing the rule.
The lawsuit also brings attention to specific incidents where the residency requirement was applied differently for white employees. Dorch points to Kathy Nelson and Tim Dupin, both white employees who were granted waivers or special arrangements, while she, a homeowner in Lee's Summit with a Kansas City address, was targeted.
In addition, Dorch claims that her efforts to promote fair participation of minority- and women-owned businesses in city contracts were met with resistance and reprimand from Platt and other officials. This included a major project, the $800 million Meta data center development, where Dorch advocated for compliance but was allegedly ignored by the city.
The lawsuit also alleges that private investigators hired by the city began following Dorch in January of 2023, shortly after she received a reprimand from Platt. Dorch was unaware of the surveillance at the time, but she became increasingly fearful and distressed as she noticed someone following her. As a single mother, Dorch confided in friends and expressed her fear that she was being watched and followed.
The surveillance and Dorch's subsequent job loss in May of 2023 caused an uproar among Black civil rights leaders, who publicly denounced the actions and demanded Platt's resignation. They accused him of allowing a culture of discrimination to persist within the city government. Platt has denied these accusations, and the city council recently voted to authorize the mayor to negotiate a renewal of his employment agreement.
This case sheds light on the ongoing struggle for equal opportunity in the workplace, particularly for marginalized groups. It serves as a reminder that discrimination and bias still exist, and we must continue to fight against them to create a fair and just society for all.
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