Lawsuit Alleges Racial Discrimination in CNN, Turner Promotion, Pay Practices

(in Pacer) filed Wednesday in U.S. District Court in Atlanta. Former employee Celeslie Henley and Ernest Colbert, a TBS senior manager, are seeking unspecified compensatory and punitive damages. Plaintiffs allege the evaluation system gives managers "undue authority" without any oversight or feedback, resulting in African-American employees typically receiving lower performance ratings than white counterparts, leading to smaller bonuses and raises and fewer promotions. The suit pointed to reports on internal human resources diversity trends indicating black CNN and Turner employees have dramatically different pay rates from those of similarly situated white employees. It alleged TW "has created an employment schematic" that sees African-American workers having to work three times as long as white ones to receive promotions and that they eventually hit a glass ceiling that keeps any black employee from being president of Turner Broadcasting or any Turner network. The suit lists numerous divisions at Turner and CNN and cites data it says indicate racial discrimination in pay or promotion practices. It said African-Americans make up roughly a third of mid-level managerial and staffing positions, but "they are extremely under-represented at higher pay grades and senior promotions." It alleged "glass walls" at the company, with the African-American workers who are in senior positions being concentrated "in less powerful and non-revenue generating areas" like international and sports. The suit seeks class-action status. TW didn't comment Thursday.