Attorney Mark Zausmer issued the following statement on behalf of his client Richard Turnbow.
According to Turnbow, “On Tuesday, May 9, 2023, Ryan Marshall acknowledged racism within PulteGroup although he has fired just one of the players in the racist and discriminatory scheme our lawsuit made public.
"He also has not sent me or my fellow litigants an apology. We lost our employment because we were targeted, lynched, harassed and terminated or chased from PulteGroup. The Atlanta office is a mess and it’s ran by the CEO. The buck starts and stops with him.
"However, in a message sent companywide Tuesday, May 9, CEO Marshall passed responsibility alleging an organized conspiracy against him or sought to downplay the racism by saying that one of the incidents, the ‘Noose Meeting,’ was in 2019.
"Ryan Marshall doesn’t care about equality or diversity. His statement proves that much!
"Apologize and let us get on with our lives. Put an end to the legal games.
"We appreciate the thousands of messages over the internet and messages from our former colleagues at PulteGroup.”
Background
Three Black former PulteGroup employees have secured legal representation by the highly reputable Zausmer Law Firm in order to pursue CEO Ryan Marshall and other named PulteGroup senior executives in a sweeping conspiracy to reward personal loyalty over merit and, in some specific cases, white employees over Black employees.
The legal filing can be accessed online here. Case No: 2023 – 0287 – CD
The case is being pursued under the Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act in Michigan, where PulteGroup was founded in 1950 and maintains its registered office. PulteGroup is a Fortune 500, publicly traded company, listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the “PHM” ticker symbol. PulteGroup is the third-largest homebuilder in the country.
The 22-page lawsuit was filed May 4, 2023, in Ingham County Circuit Court. The complaint alleges that managers engaged in “unlawful retaliation in the form of termination” when Black employees reported misconduct on the part of Pulte executive Patrick Witzigman, who is alleged to have acted as a lieutenant in the scheme and had racist interactions with all three Black plaintiffs. Witzigman’s conduct was given a pass or endorsement because he was a loyalist to COO Brandon Jones, who himself was recently terminated after the PulteGroup Board found wrongdoing and actions that violated their Code of Ethical Business Conduct (PDF).
PulteGroup’s Jim Zeumer, vice president of investor relations and corporate communications, told Lansing CBS affiliate WLNS Channel 6: “Our company leadership is committed to ensuring an environment of inclusion where all people are respected and valued. What is depicted in the images is despicable and has no place in our company nor in our society. The allegations are not consistent with our values and corporate culture.”
Senior Executive Brandon Jones received “fast-tracked” promotions and is personal friends with CEO Ryan Marshall, the lawsuit alleges. The complaint outlines a workplace conspiracy wherein the CEO had his executives, and managers who reported to them, filter out Black employees who spoke out about unlawful conduct perpetrated by their supervisors that did not align with PulteGroup’s public image, specifically, by the hands of Witzigman.
When the respective human resources and legal departments were used by employees, rather than punishing Witzigman for his unethical and unlawful behavior, they engaged in Marshall’s grand coverup and retaliated against Black employees.
Not once did Pulte’s “Diversity Board” (led by CEO Marshall) or the Ethics Committee (led by General Counsel Todd Sheldon) correct these civil rights violations because these entities were set up to fool shareholders, employees and the public.
Each of the three plaintiffs can demonstrate that they were treated with prejudice, that normal recourse for reporting discriminatory or predatory practices was not actually available to them, and that they were terminated or forced out by managers loyal to CEO Marshall or one of his top lieutenants.
Even more explosive, plaintiffs have provided the court with photographs of the “lynching noose” and made public, for the first time, what is internally referred to as the “Noose Meeting” among PulteGroup employees.
Plaintiffs are considering additional legal remedies and invite all whistleblowers and those discriminated against by PulteGroup managers or executives to join their pursuit of equal treatment.
View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230510005997/en/
Contacts
Mike Nowlin | Cell: 989-450-0855
Mario Morrow Sr. | Cell: 313-806-0818
