- Former PR executive Nyree Wright sued Omnicom PR firm Porter Novelli in November 2019, alleging the company discriminated against her on the basis of race and gender.
- She claims Porter Novelli hired her for a consultant-turned EVP position, then fired her after less than two months after assigning her a project that was not in keeping with her contract.
- Omnicom denied her claims, stating she didn't suffer any legally valid damages and that she wasn't discriminated against.
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Public relations veteran Nyree Wright sued her former employer Porter Novelli and its parent, holding company Omnicom, in late 2019, alleging she was discriminated against on the basis of race along with claiming tortious interference and breach of contract.
Wright, a 20-year PR vet, told Business Insider that she was an SVP at rival Publicis firm MSLGroup when Porter Novelli hired her for a consulting role that was designed to evolve into a full-time position as EVP of reputation management with an annual salary of $225,000.
The filing states that in Wright's first month on the job in October in 2018, Porter Novelli gave her 10 days to launch a public affairs and policy campaign for the American Public Transportation Association.
Wright told Business Insider that the assignment went beyond her contract, which stated that she would specialize in crisis PR, reputation management, media training, new business efforts, and IPOs and acquisitions.
According to the filing, Wright's manager terminated her less than one month later, claiming she was "not a good fit for the position."
Wright, now a full-time lecturer at the University of Florida College of Journalism and Communications, said she did not experience any direct racism during her tenure but that she was the only Black executive in the firm's DC office at the time.
According to her suit, filed in District of Columbia Superior Court, "Ms. Wright is African American, and therefore a member of a protected class. Defendant [former Porter Novelli global president Jennifer Swint] is white. Defendants' actions discriminated against Ms. Wright by reason of her race ... Defendants' termination of Ms. Wright was based solely on her race and not her performance."
Omnicom denied Wright's claims
Omnicom stated in a filing that Wright had not suffered any legally valid damages and that all actions against her were taken "for legitimate, non-discriminatory reasons."
A Porter Novelli spokeswoman said the company cannot comment on ongoing legal matters.
"Porter Novelli is a Purpose-driven organization that has and is deeply committed to enforcing policies prohibiting discrimination and retaliation on the basis of gender, race, age, disability, sexual orientation or any other legally protected status," she wrote.
Omnicom and Swint, who is also named as a defendant in the suit, did not respond to requests for comment.
Wright's suit claims the firm damaged her reputation and her ability to earn further employment and demands back and front pay.
In April 2019, Omnicom offered her an initial settlement of $11,496.22 that would have required her to sign a nondisclosure agreement, according to a document. She declined. According to a March scheduling order, the case is scheduled to begin pretrial hearings on November 16.
Related documents are embedded below.
Omnicom Response in Wright ... by Patrick Coffee on Scribd
PN Agreement to N. Wright -... by Patrick Coffee on Scribd
Got more information about this story or another ad industry tip? Contact Patrick Coffee on Signal at (347) 563-7289, email at pcoffee@businessinsider.com or patrickcoffee@protonmail.com, or via Twitter DM @PatrickCoffee. You can also contact Business Insider securely via SecureDrop.
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