The National Association of REALTORS® (NAR) has been named in a controversial lawsuit accusing the association and current president Kenny Parcell of racial and sexual discrimination and sexual harassment.
NAR’s former chief storyteller, Janelle Brevard, filed a lawsuit against the trade group on Tuesday, alleging that she was harassed and ultimately fired after ending a relationship with Parcell and speaking with lawyers about his alleged sexual harassment against other female employees.
“(The) defendant’s (NAR) reason for termination was false and a pretext for sexual harassment, gender discrimination, racial discrimination and retaliation,” read an excerpt from the lawsuit.
Only NAR is listed as an actual defendant in the suit despite the complaint repeatedly naming Parcell, who became NAR president at the start of 2023.
Brevard was hired by NAR in late 2019 as the trade group’s chief storyteller and served in the role until September last year. Despite having no prior disciplinary issues while working at NAR, she argues that she was singled out because of her race, and ousted after filing a complaint against Parcell to NAR about alleged harassment after ending a relationship with him in June.
While attorneys representing Brevard did not immediately respond to requests for comments on this story, NAR disputed the allegations in an emailed statement sent to RISMedia, claiming the association “prides itself on being a welcoming and inclusive environment for all our employees.”
“It is our practice to fully investigate all claims that are brought to our attention and take action, as warranted,” said Mantill Williams, NAR VP of Communications. “We reject the claims filed in this lawsuit, and we will vigorously defend against them.”
The lawsuit highlights how NAR hired law firm Polsinelli LLC in July 2022 to investigate complaints that Parcell, the trade group’s president-elect at the time, had created a “sexually hostile work environment.”
The complaint claims that three white female NAR employees had previously complained about Parcell’s alleged sexual misconduct. While Brevard wasn’t one of these women, she was named as an employee who may have also experienced Parcell’s “unlawful workplace conduct,” according to the filing, which also notes that the two had been in a relationship with each other while Parcell was still president-elect.
The filing notes that Brevard shared her experiences with Parcell in a July 2022 interview with lawyers, which included “various text messages, photos and other items evidencing the sexual relationship” she had with Parcell before ending it in June 2022.
“The information (the) Plaintiff provided the Polsinelli attorneys during the investigation clearly showed Parcell violated Defendant’s sexual harassment policy as it related to his interactions with Plaintiff,” read an excerpt from the lawsuit.
The complaint alleges that Parcell “continued to engage in inappropriate sexual behavior” after Brevard broke things off with him last summer and went as far as threatening to retaliate against her if she refused to continue the relationship.
“Specifically, Parcell would exclude Plaintiff from meetings Plaintiff would normally attend; he excluded Plaintiff from business trips she would normally attend; Parcell would disparage Plaintiff at every turn; and Parcell even made several threats to Plaintiff that he would terminate her employment,” the lawsuit states.
After issuing a complaint to NAR about Parcell’s alleged behavior, the suit states that the trade group fired Brevard for “alleged failure to disclose a relationship with Parcell.”
The filing indicates that no disciplinary actions were taken against Parcell—elevated to president in 2023—for the relationship. It also notes that Brevard was the only woman that met with the Polsinelli attorneys who was terminated.
According to the case file, Brevard is seeking front and back pay along with benefits and compensation for emotional pain and suffering.
This is a developing story. Stay tuned to RISMedia for updates.
