The Greenwood Tourism Commission has asked that a court rule for summary judgment against an employee of the Convention and Visitors Bureau who is suing and alleging racial discrimination.
The commission, which governs the Convention and Visitors Bureau, argues that the claims of Ashley Farmer, who has alleged she was passed over the position of executive director last year because she is white, are not supported by the facts.
The lawsuit also names the city of Greenwood as a defendant, which continues to ask to be dismissed from the lawsuit, arguing it has no involvement in any affairs regarding the operations of the CVB.
In the fall of 2021, the commission hired Patrick Ervin of Greenville, who is Black, to take the position. Another element of Farmer’s lawsuit was that Ervin had no experience in the hospitality business and “whose relevant qualification is being Black.”
Ervin resigned from the position in April, having worked with the CVB for five months, before accepting the position of editor and publisher at the weekly newspaper in Indianola.
Deposition excerpts with Ervin are included along with the commission’s filings. In the included excerpts, Ervin said that he chose to resign from the CVB to take a job closer to Greenville, following the death of his mother, in order to take better care of his older brother who requires support.
The commission disputes Farmer’s allegations. Citing numerous deposition excerpts from Farmer, Ervin and several current and former commission members, the commission states that Ervin was hired because a majority of commission members viewed him as the best candidate based on his interviews and experience.
“The record evidence is that Ervin met the qualifications for the Executive Director position and, as a result of his successful interview, received the most votes from CVB board members, while Farmer did not perform as well,” the commission’s memorandum states.
In addition, according to Farmer’s deposition, she believed that her interview with the full board went poorly.
Farmer has also alleged retaliation, which the commission rejects, arguing the fact that Farmer was, with one abstention, voted unanimously to be the interim director of the CVB upon Ervin’s resignation.
The commission is scheduled to interview four candidates next month for the position of executive director. The candidate search was done by a firm hired by the commission.
- Contact Kevin Edwards at 662-581-7233 or kedwards@gwcommonwealth.com.
