Lenny Avery, executive director of the Alcona County Commission on Aging, has filed a discrimination lawsuit against the Board of Directors.
Avery had served the position for three years for a predominantly white commission being the only Black man. According to a press release from Avery, in his time as executive director of ACCOA, he “…increased revenue, brought order to financial reporting, and expanded services for the senior citizens of Alcona County.”
Avery said the board had unanimously supported him and his position for the three years he was in his position. But when the board welcomed new members, he was suspended.
“They said I needed to have a degree in accounting or a degree in business management, but the very next replacement, that individual has a teaching certificate,” he said. “So which is it?”
In a written statement, his lawyer Joseph Lucas had expressed that Avery had been fired with no given reasoning and no pay with a 4-1 vote by the Board of Directors for ACCOA.
“Mr. Avery performed his job in an exemplary fashion for three years and then was summarily terminated with no investigation and no proof of wrongdoing,” Lucas said in the press release. “His position was filled by a white woman. The most likely reason for his termination was racial discrimination.”
“I believe that these individuals need to be held accountable and that’s the driving factor,” Avery said. “It’s not about a monetary compensation, it’s about accountability..."
Lucas said Avery has filed for a front pay of several hundred thousand dollars.
Members of the Alcona County Commission on Aging didn’t respond to multiple requests for comment.