DELAWARE COUNTY, Pa. (KYW Newsradio) — A former Delaware County employee whose job was to oversee diversity and inclusion is suing the county over what she deems were discriminatory practices.
In 2022, Lauren Footman was hired as Delaware County’s first diversity, equity, and inclusion director. Footman, who was let go earlier this year, claims she faced racial discrimination from Marc Woolley, the county’s then-executive director.
“He had a pattern of treating black women particularly those who did not acquiesce to how he thought they should show up,” she said.
Both Footman and Woolley are Black.
Footman says she also wants her entire case to be looked at by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and then for them to decide.
Delaware County’s current executive director Barbara O’Malley says those claims have already been looked into and they concluded Woolley did not discriminate against African American women during his job duties.
“It’s been made very clear that the allegations were not true,” she said.
O’Malley says the county is still dedicated to implementing the work of the DEI’s office into their operations. In regards to Footman’s termination, county officials issued the following statement:
As the first head of the DEI office, Ms. Footman was given broad authority and discretion to meet the clear goals Delaware County Council set to make the county more diverse, equitable, and inclusive at every level. When she did not meet those goals, it was clear a change was needed.