Before I will bless a client’s decision to terminate an employee, I always ask this question: “Tell me about the demographics — race, sex, age, known disability, etc. Did they complain about something at work and when? If I go through your personnel records, will I find someone outside of the to-be-terminated employee’s protected class whom you’ve treated better?”
Equinox, a high-end gym, hired Röbynn Europe (Black) to work as a personal trainer. A year later it fired her for excessive tardiness. She claimed, however, that the gym fired her because she complained to management about how her white co-workers spoke about Black women’s bodies. She admitted her chronic lateness, and added that she was never late for a client or an appointment. She also pointed to the time records of white co-workers with a similar history of tardiness who were not fired, let alone disciplined.