A lawsuit by an employee of the Greenwood Convention and Visitors Bureau alleging discrimination is ongoing, with a number of depositions scheduled over the next two months.
Ashley Farmer, currently serving as the interim executive director of the CVB, filed a lawsuit against the Greenwood Tourism Commission and the city of Greenwood in December.
She argues in her lawsuit that she was discriminated against and not hired for the position of executive director of the CVB because she is white.
Instead, she alleges certain members of the Greenwood Tourism Commission, the entity that governs the CVB, were determined to hire a Black person.
The commission hired Greenville native Patrick Ervin, who is Black. Ervin resigned from the position in April and took a job with The Enterprise-Tocsin newspaper in Indianola.
The commission has denied the allegations, and the city has attempted to have itself removed from the lawsuit, arguing it is not a party to the dispute.
Trial has been scheduled for April 2023.
Depositions for numerous people have been scheduled, including Greenwood Mayor Carolyn McAdams, Ward 4 Councilman Charles McCoy, Ward 2 Councilwoman Lisa Cookston and several current and former members of the commission.
Farmer has continued to serve as interim executive director of the CVB during this time. She was appointed to the position in May.
In June, the commission hired Logan Development Group, an Oxford-based consulting group, to lead the search for a permanent executive director. Board Chairman Andrew McQueen said on Thursday that the search is ongoing.
- Contact Kevin Edwards at 662-581-7233 or kedwards@gwcommonwealth.com.
