Background
In early 2021, Andrea Dorch was hired as Director of Civil Rights and Equal Opportunity Officer (CREO). CREO is tasked with upholding civil rights and promoting equal opportunity within the city–overseeing initiatives to combat discrimination and ensure fairness in employment, housing, and public services.
Upon her hiring, one of the initial assignments given to Dorch was the termination of an employee. The employee–a Black woman with an undisclosed disability–was employed as a senior civil rights specialist for CREO and had previously filed a case against Kansas City for discrimination and retaliation. The City’s legal department pursued her termination based on alleged violations of residency requirements under City Code 20972. According to the 29-page lawsuit filed against The City and Platt, the employee was temporarily living in a domestic violence shelter. Dorch diligently advocated for the employee, submitting a memorandum to Human Resources and Legal Departments. Despite her efforts, the city ultimately terminated the employee in November 2021, tasking Dorch with the responsibility of firing her.
Two and half years after The City used Dorch to orchestrate the racist termination of one Black female employee; now, Andrea Dorch finds herself on the other side of that same discriminatory tactic–a tactic rooted in misogynoir and perpetuated by city officials to undermine Black women and dismiss their dignity.
Silencing Dorch: Brian Platt’s Obstruction of Advocacy
Between April 2021 and April 2023, Andrea Dorch was the target of an oppressive scheme that was led by City Manager Brian Platt and aided by the support of City Mayor Quinton Lucas and other city departments. During that time period, Platt and other city officials censored, worked against, and used tax-payer’s dollars to bully a Black woman for doing the job she was hired to do.
According to the allegations in the lawsuit, City Manager Brian Platt made it a priority to silence Andrea Dorch.
Platt purposely underutilized or even prohibited Dorch from using mass media outlets to showcase CREO programs, events, and reports. This deliberate censorship of Dorch and CREO’s operations aimed to eliminate transparency between Dorch and the Kansas City community. In contrast, Platt allowed other city departments to utilize mass media for communication.
The lawsuit also claims that Platt directed Dorch to cease reporting on The City’s illegal activities. Based on previous accusations against Platt and his dishonest approach with the media, the alleged action in the recent lawsuit suggests he remains complicit and committed to deceiving the community he serves.
“In or around late 2022 or early 2023, City Manager Brian Platt directed Plaintiff to stop reporting illegal activity involving the City, City employees and/or City officials to state and federal authorities.” [Lawsuit]
Platt, according to claims, went as far as to prevent Dorch from attending City Council and City Committee meetings. The barring not only impeded Dorch’s ability to advocate effectively but also casted doubt on her professionalism and dedication. In fact, Diversity Manager for The Kansas City Area Transportation Authority Whitney Morgan informed Dorch that her absence gave the impression that she was neglecting her duties. During Dorch’s absence, local community leaders and councilmembers alike raised concerns and began to require her attendance.
"Platt then accused Plaintiff and CREO of not performing their duties and required Plaintiff to create a data report under short notice, stating how many contracts were being processed by CREO.” [Lawsuit]
The suit also claims that in January 2023, Platt made perhaps the most damning attempt to silence Dorch by emailing her an official letter of reprimand. Platt prohibited Dorch from discussing Meta’s failure to meet the Minority, Women and Disadvantaged Business Enterprise requirements with the Mayor or City Council–the very aspect of her role as the Director of CREO.
Collaborative Injustice: The City’s Campaign Against Dorch
While the unequal treatment and attempts to silence Dorch reinforces systemic barriers that Black women face in professional settings, the perpetuation of racism and sexism was a colluded effort that involved several parties working against one Black woman.
In the lawsuit, Dorch attest that she identified and reported [to Platt] that the City’s Housing Department bypassed standard contract procurement procedures to authorize around forty contracts without CREO approval. Subsequently, the Housing Department, along with the City’s General Services, misled Platt to believe that Dorch and CREO were hindering the progress of their departmental contracts. In her role as the Director of CREO, Dorch was merely executing her responsibilities by declining to endorse contracts that failed to comply with the City Code.
The lawsuit further claims that Mayor Quinton Lucas and councilmember Eric Brunch publicly “derided and denigrated” Dorch on record during a city council meeting. Lucas and other council members purportedly endorsed a trail construction project without the minority contracting goals, prompting Dorch to write a letter requesting a reversal of their decision.
“On or about March 8, 2023, Plaintiff was expressly informed by Assistant City Manager Kimiko Gilmore and Chief Equity Officer LaDonna McCullough that Platt was seeking the removal of Plaintiff as Director of the Civil Rights and Equal Opportunity Office (“CREO”) because of City’s settlement with Employee 1.” [Lawsuit]
Lastly, according to the allegations, Platt corroborated with subordinates and lower-level employees to undermine Dorch. Platt began requiring Dorch to report to the City’s Chief Equity Officer LaDonna McCullough about an investigation into the discriminatory practices of the Kansas City Fire Department when Ms. McCullough’s position was two levels below Dorch.
Platt is also alleged of requiring Dorch to take directives from, as the lawsuit explains, a “Caucasian subordinate, lower-level City employees in other departments holding positions within the City that were below or subordinate to Dorch’s position as a Director.” In this role, Dorch began reporting to Jane Brown, Wes Minder, and Melissa Kozakiewicz. These individuals directed Dorch “to report to their meetings and perform administrative tasks.” Such duties undermined Dorch’s qualifications.
Calculated Coercion: Buying Fear with Our Tax Dollars
If the silencing and the conspiring efforts of Platt and The City’s racist and sexist brigade against Dorch weren’t enough to spell out discrimination, the lawsuit also claims that Brian Platt and The City of Kansas City used tax dollars to hire a private investigator.
According to the suit, in early 2023, the city hired private investigative firm Strategos International to look into Dorch’s Lee’s Summit property. In a story reported by the Kansas City Star, an email exchange beginning November 2022 between Assistant City Manager Kelly Postlewait and Nick Spencer, chief operations officer of Strategos International, substantiated this claim.
“Records show that nearly two months later, on Jan. 13, three licensed investigators with a Strategos subsidiary, Clarence M. Kelley & Associates, began taking turns staking out a house that Dorch owns in Lee’s Summit.” [Lawsuit, KC Star]
In a 2023 story reported by KCUR, invoice payments obtained by the publication showed that The City was billed $10,922 by Clarence M. Kelley and Associates of Kansas City, a subsidiary of Strategos International, for hours dedicated to staking out near Dorch’s Lee’s Summit property. This is not an uncommon practice as the City has a history of weaponizing the residency requirements against Black women and other women of color who speak up.
Based on Dorch’s account, these probes are not enacted against white counterparts employed by The City. In fact, Dorch alleges that in 2021, Platt “entered into an undisclosed agreement” that permitted Tim Dupin of Kansas City’s Fire Department to remain on the City payroll while he also worked full-time in Washington, D.C. The agreement allowed Dupin to collect a $86,000 annual salary from Kansas City and a $150,000 annual salary as Director of Political Action for D.C’s International Association of Fire Fighters. Dorch also alleges that a similar arrangement was allotted for Kathy Nelson who serves as President and CEO of the Kansas City Sports Commission and City Department Director Forest Decker, both of whom own a residential property outside of city limits.
“In or around April 2023, Plaintiff learned that City Department Director Forest Decker, a white male, and several members of the City’s Council also owned residential property outside the limits of the City, but were not forced by the City to resign from their positions, in lieu of termination, for violating the City’s Residency Requirement.” [Lawsuit]
When Dorch became aware that she was being followed by investigators, she expressed fear and concerns for her and her family’s safety. According to the lawsuit, Dorch informed close friends and family that she grew “fearful” of her surveillance and was not aware of who was following her or why. As the lawsuit states, Dorch, who is a Black female over the age of forty, is also a member of a protected class.
Following the City’s alleged pervasive probe, Dorch reported discrimination and harassment to the City’s Human Resources office. According to the suit, Dorch made the report on or about April 4 or 5 in 2023, and days later, Brian Platt gave Dorch the ultimatum of resigning or being terminated based on “findings” that she had violated the Residency Requirement.
“[Human Resources Director, Terri Casey] admitted that the City Ordinance from which the Residency Requirement arises does not prohibit a City employee from having more than once residence.”[lawsuit]
Just one month earlier, Dorch claims, Platt was singing her praises and opposed her decision to resign only to later berate her and dismiss her while snatching the resignation letter from her hand. Andrea Dorch officially “resigned” from CREO on April 21, but Platt terminated her access to her City emails on April 7.
The orchestrated campaign against Andrea Dorch underscores how Brian Platt continues to operate Kansas City as an entity that perpetuates misogyny and racism. In regards to Mayor Quinton Lucas, his unwavering support of Platt shed’s light on his own involvement in maintaining a culture of racism. Even in the face of just criticism from members of the community, Platt (and Lucas) remain committed to suppressing, colluding against, and intimidating Black women. It is imperative that we, as a community, stand up against the misogyny and racism that plagues Kansas City’s leadership. We must advocate for the protection and empowerment of Black women like Andrea Dorch, who face systemic barriers and injustices. Kansas City deserves better than a dishonest city manager with a history of bias towards Black women. We deserve better than a Mayor unwilling to challenge that bias. It is beyond time to hold those in positions of power accountable and demand transparency. Andrea Dorch deserved better than what the City gave her.
