Kim Gardner Accused of Racial Discrimination in Firing of White Paralegal

A white paralegal is suing St. Louis Circuit Attorney Kim Gardner, alleging she was fired because of her race.

Nancy Woods worked for more than 27 years in the prosecutor's office before Gardner took office in 2017. She claims in a federal civil rights lawsuit filed today that the new circuit attorney and her top lieutenants targeted white employees, firing several and driving out others.

In January 2018, a year into Gardner's term, Woods says she was summoned to a meeting with the circuit attorney's chief of staff, Michael Warrick, along with Eula Simmons, the office's chief clerk and Woods' boss. Woods claims the two grilled her, repeatedly asking if there was anything she wanted to tell them until she was in tears.

When she began to cry, they backed off, telling her all the attorneys had good things to say about her, the suit says. They reportedly told Woods, who worked the child support unit, that she would be moved to another office.

Read more: https://www.riverfronttimes.com/newsblog/2019/05/22/kim-gardner-accused-of-racial-discrimination-in-firing-of-white-paralegal