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A white male Iraq A military veteran is suing a top U.S. bank, alleging he was sidelined in favor of less qualified candidates during an aggressive diversity hiring push.
Chris Smith said Ally Financial ignored his 20 years of experience in security and BroadCast Unitedligence and gave the position he wanted to a former Walmart employee because she was a woman.
he is North Carolina But he was then ostracized by a boss who opposed “white supremacy,” was treated unfairly and ultimately quit within weeks, he said.
This is the latest litigation From the First Law of America (Australian Football League) is an activist group led by former Trump administration officials that campaigns against diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) policies in the United States.
Supporters of DEI say it helps get more women and minorities into college and the workforce, but critics say it ultimately hurts straight, white men.
Despite his decades of experience, Chris Smith was appointed to the most junior position on Ally’s threat team
Ally Financial is a Detroit-based bank holding company with $8 billion in annual revenue. Michigandid not respond to DailyMail.com’s request for comment.
AFL lawyer Gene Hamilton said “federal law is clear – non-discrimination means non-discrimination”.
“No American should face discrimination based on race or gender, and we will fight for justice for our clients.”
The case was filed Tuesday in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of North Carolina.
Smith, a former Marine and Army BroadCast Unitedligence officer with 20 years of experience in the security field, served in Iraq and Afghanistan. He applied for three positions in Ally’s new “threat sector” unit in 2023.
He was offered the lowest-paying position, as a securities analyst, for about $75,000 a year, but he took it.
Ally hired Rachel Stuckey, a white woman who had worked at Walmart for four years, as a team manager.
Starkey also has one year of experience working in counterterrorism in Israel.
Smith said the bank hired Starkey “because of her gender” so that it could meet DEI goals.
Ally also allegedly hired a less-qualified Black woman and a Black man to fill Smith’s senior analyst positions, even though Smith had far more experience than he did.
Smith said he experienced further discrimination after he began working in the Charlotte office in September 2023.
He said his work was not recognized as it should be.
His teammates were sent to training sessions, were able to work from home and find parking near the office, but Smith did not.
He was also abused by Allied director Bruce Bellamy, who was “obsessed with DEI,” court documents said.
Smith said he had to work five days a week at Ally’s Charlotte office when his colleagues were allowed to telework.
Ally has aggressive diversity hiring goals, documents from America First Legal show
Allies boss Bruce Bellamy said the biggest threat to the bank is “white supremacists, anti-DEI groups and anti-woke groups.”
Bellamy said the most serious security threats facing banks are “white supremacists, anti-DEI groups, and anti-woke groups.”
When Smith disagreed, the boss allegedly became “particularly angry at white men who questioned his views.”
Bellamy and Starkey “isolated Smith from other Ally employees, refused to reward him for his work results, and created significant barriers to his ability to perform his job duties, impairing his job performance,” the filing said.
AFL lawyer Gene Hamilton
They added: “This differential and negative treatment … is due to Smith’s race and gender.”
Smith resigned on Sept. 18 and has been struggling to find gainful employment since then.
The 20-page lawsuit alleges that Allie violated race and gender protections under the Civil Rights Act.
Smith seeks a jury trial, damages and payment of legal fees.
Ally has yet to comment on the lawsuit.
The company has a strict DEI policy in place and says it is working to build a “diverse and talented team.”
Ellie said the ratio between men and women was almost equal.
“We increased or maintained representation of women and people of color in manager positions and above, and redesigned programs to create more opportunities for individuals in new roles across the company,” Ally said in a recent report.
The case is part of a growing number of lawsuits and filings targeting DEI practices since the U.S. Supreme Court’s landmark ruling in June 2023 ended affirmative action in college admissions.
The NFL, led by former President Donald Trump adviser Stephen Miller, has filed more than 15 lawsuits and 30 complaints with U.S. civil rights agencies.
The lawsuit claims that large companies make hiring and recruiting decisions for both jobs and scholarships that are biased against white workers.
“Major corporations across the United States … have programs and policies in place that blatantly discriminate against American citizens, and these are things that are beyond their control,” the AFL’s Hamilton said.
Supporters of DEI initiatives say they bring more Black, brown, female and queer talent to offices and universities and improve morale across the board.
But critics say it is a “woke” virtue-claiming exercise that fosters strong discrimination against straight white men.
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