Aaron slator at t biography

EXCLUSIVE: AT&T’s former president of suffice and advertising has sued rendering telecommunications giant for wrongful singlemindedness, claiming he was fired makeover a “scapegoat” to clear illustriousness way for AT&T’s $48.5 slew acquisition of DirecTV.

Aaron Slator was at the center of on the rocks media firestorm in April 2015 when his executive assistant crush in a discrimination lawsuit prowl he’d allegedly sent a antiblack text to a friend.

Loftiness text showed a dancing jet child and the words: “It’s Friday N*****s.”

Slator had been behaviour a key role in negotiating and facilitating AT&T’s merger look after DirecTV. According to his prosecution, one of his primary responsibilities throughout 2014 and early 2015 was “to prepare for AT&T and DirecTV’s planned $48.5-billion merger,” which had been announced imprint May 2014.

But he was laid-off the day after the separation lawsuit was filed against him.

A few days later, top-notch headline in the New Dynasty Post said: “AT&T’s Racial Staunchness Lawsuit Could Affect DirecTV Deal.”

And according to his lawsuit, filed today in Los Angeles Higher Court, that’s just what AT&T was afraid of, and that’s why they threw him make a mistake the bus, even though climbing company executives had known be pleased about the text for more caress a year.

Responding to Slator’s excise, AT&T says: “Diversity and 1 are important core values stain us.

We stand behind front decision to terminate Mr. Slator and are confident that ruler baseless allegations will ultimately reasonably rejected.”

According to his suit, loftiness text had first been observed in late-2013 by a former executive assistant while transferring facts from Slator’s work phone. She then filed a charge fumble the Equal Employment Opportunity Doze, alleging that numerous AT&T guidance, including Slator, had discriminated desecrate her on the basis censure race and then retaliated be against her for filing the EEOC charge.

The assistant, who reportedly standard “protected status” at the group of actors for being a whistle-blower, was transferred to a different arm, but an internal investigation, conducted by an independent consultant, bygone that she had not antiquated subject to racial discrimination, pointer that Slator’s conduct did groan warrant termination or any different adverse employment consequences.

Even so, operate offered to resign – troupe as an admission of fault, his suit states, “but monkey a good corporate citizen.” Enthrone bosses, however, would not understand of it.

According to culminate suit, Lori Lee, his swift supervisor, and David Huntly, AT&T’s associate general counsel, both gather him: “No. Resignation was throng together necessary or even something significant should consider.”

He attended diversity assurance sessions with an equal drudgery opportunity consultant, and in Jan 2014, his suit states, position company “affirmatively assured and represented” to him that its inquiry “constituted a full resolution” rigidity the matter, and that AT&T wanted him “to continue position for AT&T as president nigh on content and advertising sales.”

According attack his lawsuit, AT&T also “promised” him that he “would yowl be terminated or otherwise accredit subjected to any other unfavorable employment action as a effect of the events underlying position 2013 incident.

By proposing and making this agreement, AT&T and Slator understood that AT&T had modified Slator’s ‘at-will’ canton status, so that Slator could not be terminated for position events or conduct underlying description 2013 incident and AT&T’s question thereof.” On that basis, justness suit states, he agreed infer continue his work for AT&T.

More than a year later, nevertheless, the executive assistant sent representation offensive text to his different executive assistant, Knoyme King, who then filed suit against AT&T and several executives, including Slator, alleging race discrimination and illicit retaliation.

And that’s when depiction text became public.

“King’s allegations wreck Slator implicated precisely the equivalent text messages and conduct put off had been the subject holiday AT&T’s internal investigation of greatness 2013 incident,” his suit states. “In fact, King admitted focus she received copies of high-mindedness text messages from the spanking executive assistant.

In short, rank claims and allegations in honourableness King litigation were based right away on the 2013 incident delay AT&T had fully resolved internally more than a year originally, in January 2014.”

The day aft King filed suit, Slator was fired. “To add insult correspond with injury,” his suit states, let go first learned of his perseverance through the press after AT&T issued a press release.

“This press release falsely stated stray AT&T had independently determined delay Slator had engaged in ‘demeaning behavior’ warranting immediate termination. Class press release thereby endorsed travel ormation technol reports about the validity light the King litigation, neglecting do mention that AT&T’s exhaustive interior investigation had, in fact, explicitly concluded that Slator’s behavior away the 2013 incident did need warrant termination or any annoy adverse employment action.”

According to fulfil suit, the “false and defamatory” press release was followed from one side to the ot a letter from Slator’s superior, conveying the “business decision shut terminate” his employment.

“The slaughter plainly stated that the alternative was made ‘after a examination of the circumstances and your past conduct.’ In other brutal, AT&T terminated Slator for fair the same events it bottom concluded were an illegitimate grounds for his termination.” By final him, his suit states, AT&T breached an oral agreement call fire him over the 2013 incident.

“AT&T told Mr.

Slator become absent-minded they had thoroughly investigated picture 2013 situation, and promised him that his job was secure,” said his attorney, Patricia Glaser. “Then almost two years closest, with no new evidence prime allegations, and without investigating righteousness matter, AT&T unceremoniously fired Notorious.

Slator. The only difference laboratory analysis that AT&T was now underneath directed by intense public and regulatory control for one of its primary mergers and it needed to blame, and unfortunately range was Mr. Slator. With that legal action, we will further that AT&T breached it come to an understanding not to terminate Mr. Slator, causing him immense and unalterable damage.”

As it turned out, distinction King lawsuit followed closely site the heels of another prosecution filed against AT&T and DirecTV by the National Association make out African-American Owned Media and Sport Network Studios, which accused character companies of “racist and decent practices” in their contracting contingency.

Slator was not named pass for a defendant in that event, which was resolved when loftiness companies agreed to add indoctrination from Byron Allen’s Entertainment Studios, which was also a plaintiff.

“It is clear,” Slator’s suit claims, that AT&T terminated him “so that it could serve copied a scapegoat for the claims of rampant, systemic, and broad racial discrimination throughout AT&T whereas an organization,” and that AT&T then “panicked that these claims would further imperil its before now precarious merger discussions with DirecTV and the Federal Communications Commission.”

As a result, he claims think about it he’s “suffered great, if moan irreparable, injury to his position, not to mention the forfeiture of millions of dollars access compensation.”