The human resources group SHRM brands itself as “the voice of all things work.” But when sued for racial discrimination, the organization tried to keep its own HR expertise out of the courtroom — only to lose $11.5 million.
The plaintiff, former SHRM instructional designer Rehab Mohamed, said she faced discrimination from a White supervisor between 2016 and 2020. The court sided with her. And in a stinging rebuke, U.S. district judge Gordon P. Gallagher ruled that SHRM’s “asserted expertise in human resources” was central to the case and fair game for scrutiny.
