(Reuters) – The former Black president of Human Rights Campaign, America’s largest LGBTQ advocacy organization, filed a lawsuit against the group on Thursday. He claimed that the Human Rights Campaign had racially discriminated in his dismissal last year.

Alphonso David was fired https://www.reuters.com/world/us/alphonso-david-fired-human-rights-campaign-president-cuomo-advice-nyt-2021-09-07 on Sept. 6 after New York state Attorney General Letitia James issued a report saying he had advised former Governor Andrew Cuomo about dealing with sexual harassment allegations, the organization’s board said then.

He filed the lawsuit at Brooklyn’s federal court.

David stated in his suit that he was the 40 year-old group’s first Black president and had been holding the position for two years. Washington-based non-profit group advocated for equal rights of lesbian, gay and bisexual people, as well as transgender, queer, persons (LGBTQ).

“Today, I am filing a lawsuit for the millions of Black and Brown people who face discrimination every day but fear retaliation or lack the resources to challenge it,” David said in a Twitter (NYSE:) post.

The Human Rights Campaign’s interim president, Joni Madison, said in a statement that David’s actions in assisting Cuomo’s team in responding to allegations of sexual harassment were, among other things, in violation of the organization’s conflict of interest policy and its mission.

“Mr. David’s complaint is riddled with untruths. We are confident through the legal process that it will be apparent that Mr. David’s termination was based on clear violations of his contract and HRC’s mission, and as president of HRC, he was treated fairly and equally,” Madison said.

David shared a screenshot of his complaint via Twitter. He stated that the organization had “deserved reputation” for unjust treatment of its non-white employees. He said the Human Rights Campaign’s own employees had described it as a “White Men’s Club” where nonwhite staffers were marginalized, tokenized, and denied advancement to high-level positions.

The complaint states that David was granted a 30% increase and his contract renewal by the Human Rights Campaign in August. The lawsuit claims that board members informed David during contract renewal negotiations that he was being underpaid in comparison to his white counterpart because of his race.

In the complaint, a member of whiteboard told the HRC President to cease mentioning race in public comments. David also claimed that he was frequently subject to pushback by senior colleagues regarding issues related race.

According to the organization, some of those David charges of discriminatory behaviour are individuals of color or champions for racial equality and inclusion. The organization also said that seven members of its executive committees were Black and five are independent directors.

David served as counsel for then-Governor Cuomo before becoming the group’s president.

David stated in the suit that board members demanded his resignation after asking him questions about Cuomo’s treatment of allegations of sexual harass. After he refused to resign, he said that he was fired.

Morgan Cox, Jodie Patterson and Jodie Patterson were co-chairs on HRC’s Board at the time. They claimed that Cuomo’s assistance had been in violation of the group’s mission, and they also accused him of false statements.

New York Attorney General James’s report detailed allegations of Cuomo sexual harassment and the efforts made by his aides against Cuomo’s accusers.

According to the report, David was implicated in trying to discredit Lindsey Boylan’s first accuser of Cuomo.

Cuomo was forced to resign as governor following a state probe that found that Cuomo sexually harassed several women working for him. This included a trooper and a woman who worked with him. Although he expressed regret that he made young women uncomfortable at times, a state investigation found that he did not commit any criminal offenses and therefore he was forced to resign.