Newfields executive who was terminated files discrimination lawsuit against institution
Ernest Gause, a former high-ranking Newfields executive, has filed a federal lawsuit against the art and nature campus, claiming that before he was terminated earlier this year he experienced racial discrimination and retaliation for highlighting institutional malfeasances.
Gause filed an initial complaint last week in the U.S. District Court in the Southern District of Indiana and amended it May 14.
Gause, who is Black, served as Newfields' chief people, diversity and technology officer. He was terminated in January after working there for almost three years. He subsequently began the process to file a charge of discrimination, a signed statement that says an employer discriminated against an employee, with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.
Filing a charge of discrimination is a necessary step in order to file a lawsuit for unlawful discrimination, according to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.
"Ultimately, at the end of the day, the bottom line is that the truth will come out," Gause said May 16 when reached by IndyStar. "That's the whole reason to file a federal lawsuit, is for people to understand what actually occurred at the institution."
In the federal lawsuit, Gause claims that multiple interim and permanent CEOs, who were both White and Black, treated him differently than non-Black C-suite executives from the beginning of his tenure. He said he was left out of meetings and his contributions ignored. Subsequently he related his concerns to the board, according to the complaint.
Newfields hired Gause as vice president of human resources and chief people officer in February 2022 and gave him more job duties over the years. He served under Jerry Wise, current chief financial officer and former interim president; Colette Pierce Burnette, who served as CEO from August 2022 until November 2023; and Michael Kubacki, interim CEO until October 2024. At that point current CEO Le Monte Booker began his tenure.
In the lawsuit, Gause claimed Newfields executives ignored a warning about IT system vulnerabilities that resulted in a data breach in June 2023, stopped his attempts to fix the situation and then retaliated against him.
Gause also claimed in the suit that he experienced retaliation after telling his superiors about race-based inequities in pay and the handling of employment matters. He was terminated Jan. 7 in a meeting with Booker.
In addition to the racial discrimination and retaliation claims, the lawsuit states that Newfields caused Gause to endure defamation and violated Indiana's whistleblower statute related to his reporting of improprieties.
In a statement provided to IndyStar, Newfields said: "As we stated in January, Mr. Gause's departure was in no way related to discrimination including race, gender or age.
"Newfields views his claims as retaliation for the termination of his employment and a wholly inappropriate attempt to damage the personal and professional reputations of Newfields leadership and the institution itself. Newfields will vigorously defend itself from these unjust attacks.'
Burnette exited Newfields suddenly and without explanation after just 15 months in November 2023. She did not respond to IndyStar's request for comment about Gause's lawsuit.
Gause joined Newfields as the institution rolled out an action plan to rebuild trust after a controversial 2021 job post for a new museum director that called for the successful applicant to maintain the museum's "traditional, core, white art audience" while attracting more diverse patrons. Gause's role was to bring diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility into hiring and retention. His position was created in response to an external review recommendation.
Gause's lawsuit calls on Newfields to reinstate him and to pay lost wages, benefits, compensatory and punitive damages, among other legal fees.
At Newfields' Annual Meeting on May 7, Booker said the institution has been interviewing candidates to fill the role of chief people and culture officer.
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