Merck Fired Black Director for Axing White Contractor, Suit Says

Merck & Co. fired a Black cybersecurity director because he removed an uncooperative White contractor from a project when he found out about their negative race-based feelings, a new lawsuit says.

The pharmaceutical company terminated Richard Davis in September 2022 because he allegedly violated the company’s ethics policy, but didn’t provide information about any allegations or a written termination explanation, according to the complaint filed Monday in the US District Court for the Southern District of New York.

Davis served as Merck’s director of compliance and risk management at its Cyber Fusion Center, an international cyber security operation created in ...