Reverse discrimination is a real claim according to a federal court.
In the case of Pingle v. Richmond Heights Local School Dist. Bd. of Edn., N.D.Ohio 1:12-cv-2892, 2015 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 146218, a Caucasian principal alleged that a school board committed reverse discrimination when it hired an African American to fill the superintendent position instead of him and then fired the principal for sending two allegedly offensive emails.
A federal court found that there was enough evidence that the board selected the minority candidate because of racial tensions and sensitivities in the district for the case to go to trial. Significantly, the principal alleged that several board members told him that they needed to hire a minority candidate in order avoid accusations of racism.
The board members’ alleged admissions in this case serve as a reminder to all employers that race should never influence hiring decisions. The board members’ alleged admissions that race played a factor in their hiring decision cost the board $275,000 to settle the case, according to newspaper reports.