CNN fired a 16-year employee who filed multiple lawsuits alleging race discrimination and accused his boss of threatening his life. Dewayne Walker filed discrimination lawsuits after he applied for 31 jobs at CNN.
Walker was fired for litigation abuse and accusing a CNN executive of threatening his life.
According to Walker’s complaint, he filed 31 applications for jobs at CNN, and “has never been contacted for a vast majority of his applications.”
Walker also complained that he wasn’t promoted at CNN because of his race.
In a new lawsuit filed in November, Walker claimed his life was threatened by his boss Whit Friese, Vice President and group creative director at CNN.
Walker, who is Black, claimed Friese, who is white, threatened him in a restroom on August 15, 2019 at CNN Center.
The lawsuit alleges Friese ordered Walker to drop his discrimination lawsuits. “Just drop it,” Friese allegedly said.
“Or?” Walker replied.
Friese then approached Walker at the urinal and quietly whispered: “If you f**k with my money, I will kill you.”
Walker was placed on administrative leave with pay after he met with CNN’s HR manager to complain about his encounter with Friese in the restroom.
A court hearing was scheduled to get Walker reinstated to his job. Walker complained in his lawsuit that being on leave hurt his stature and his career.
“It’s a travesty and a sham, said Walker’s attorney Mario Williams. “You’re using an administrative process to punish a person who made the complaint. The best thing to firing someone is keeping him out of office on administrative leave with pay even though he’s the victim.”
After an internal investigation, CNN determined Walker “fabricated” his accusation against Friese. Walker was then let go from his job.
The AJC’s Rodney Ho learned Walker was fired after he showed up to an empty courtroom to cover Walker’s reinstatement hearing which was scheduled for Dec. 11.
Walker’s attorney had written in a court filing, “this hearing is moot due to recent events.”
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