Baltimore Mayor Brandon M. Scott is one of several Maryland city leaders accused of alleged racial discrimination after firing a white male city developer from his position.
Andrew C. Freeman, the former vice president of East Baltimore Development Inc. (EBDI), filed a lawsuit Monday against Scott, the Baltimore City Council and EBDI alleging that he was fired shortly after being promoted to 2024 at the behest of the mayor’s office.
According to the lawsuit, EBDI President and CEO Cheryl Y. Washington allegedly admitted in text messages that she fired Freeman less than two weeks after her promotion while trying to rehire former chief real estate officer Karen Major Johnson, a black woman, at Scott’s behest at the direction of her then-consultant Calvin Young.
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Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott and the city of Baltimore are being sued for racial discrimination.
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The lawsuit reads, “On June 10, 2024, Ms. Washington sent a text message to Mr. Freeman in which she wrote, ‘Andy this decision was not mine! Not at all!! I would never do this. Never! I completely understand your reaction and do not take it personally. I feel terrible!!'”
Freeman claimed that the mayor was “disappointed” at the news of her promotion after the firing of a black woman and “had a problem with that,” arguing that EBDI was “not focusing on core values.”
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He added that after threatening discrimination charges in 2024, EBDI began claiming Freeman was fired for “performance issues” that did not align with the company’s “core values.” His lawyers claim his early promotion disproves this argument.
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“Mr. Freeman’s dismissal is consistent with the Scott administration’s broader policies and practices which, under the guise of promoting diversity, equality and inclusion (‘DEI’), arbitrarily benefit certain ethnic minorities and women and disadvantage others, for no other reason than the color of their skin.
It continued, “Mayor Scott has clearly made providing opportunities to underrepresented minorities, particularly black women, a top priority of his administration. While legislative DEI initiatives seek to create equal opportunities for groups historically subject to discrimination and exclusionary practices, Mr. Scott empowers people as DE’s brand.”
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Fox News Digital has reached out to the mayor’s office and EBDI for comment. The Baltimore City Council declined to comment on the matter.
Mayor Scott previously sued the Trump administration over an executive order ending DEI programs.
Freeman is seeking monetary damages for his firing as well as a permanent prohibition from engaging in further discrimination and an order to remedy past effects of discrimination in other areas.
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Scott and the city of Baltimore filed their own lawsuit against the Trump administration in 2025 following the president’s executive order to eliminate DEI programs in government.
Original article source: White developer files suit against Baltimore mayor, City Council, claiming he was fired because of his race
