I've personally met corporate directors of diversity or people in charge of affirmative action and it's pretty obvious that their No. 1 priority is to keep the lid on. They are hired to keep the issue of discrimination quiet so they don't disturb the ongoing corporate culture. Thomas said companies with the most mature diversity programs are those that work to create diverse and open workplaces and that promote mentoring across racial, gender and cultural lines. Though they use conciliatory language at company meetings and media interviews, they have quietly but aggressively fought the claims in the courtrooms and, according to employment attorneys, often have prevailed. Lisa Foster, an Atlanta litigation attorney who represents employers in discrimination cases, said employees may garner media attention, high-profile attorneys and sympathy on the front end but that the majority of cases, in the end, are won by employers or settled out of court.
Some attorneys openly question the motives behind some of the class-action suits.
Class-action lawsuits of this nature are sometimes designed to force employers to settle and pay millions of dollars, much of which goes to plaintiffs' attorneys. Some diversity managers involved in the cases find the lawsuits are particularly disturbing because they suggest the companies have not become more diverse under their leadership. He also notes that though the company denies the accusations, it has begun an internal audit of compensation, training and the workplace environment at Georgia Power in response to the lawsuit. Davis views the lawsuit as a breach in the trust he worked years to establish with employees. I thought we were moving into the new millennium with the proper checks in place.