Margo Kline sued the professional basketball team claiming that the then new supervisor, David Lee, a black man, discriminated against her. Lee "promoted a culture of discrimination against white individuals," Kline alleges in her suit.
Lee was upfront about wanting "to hire black individuals and did not want to hire white females," the suit alleges. White employees also were skipped over for raises and promotions, Kline claims.
Kline met with Tabala Dixon, a new human resources manager, at a meeting February 21, where she was handed a "final written warning" because of "ongoing deficiencies in her conduct and/or performance," according to the suit. Kline says she never had counseling and was never disciplined for her performance in the five years she worked there. The suit also notes that Dixon is black.
The Hawks issued a statement noting that "we take all claims of discrimination seriously and have performed a thorough review of these baseless claims."
"The case was quickly dismissed at the EEOC level," the statement continues. "We deny these claims and will vigorously defend against them."