FRANKLIN COUNTY, Ohio — A racial discrimination lawsuit brought by a former Equitas Health employee implicates a former company official who now works for Integrated Services for Behavioral Health.
Columbus-based Equitas Health is a nonprofit community health organization that specializes in care for LGBTQ+ individuals and people living with HIV/AIDS. It has 21 locations across Ohio, including one in Athens on Stimson Avenue.
Ivory Davolio, former director of Government and Grant Portfolios, is African American and alleges Equitas Health paid her less than white employees, including her predecessor, peers and subordinate.
According to the suit filed in the Franklin County Court of Common Pleas earlier this month, Davolio repeatedly reported issues with communication and compliance to Mareva Page, who was her boss and chief financial officer at Equitas.
Page is now chief financial officer of Integrated Services, which serves Athens County and other parts of southeast Ohio with behavioral health care. It has two offices in Athens.
Anthony Clemente, Equitas’ senior director of advancement and communications, declined comment on the pending litigation. Neither Page nor Davolio’s attorney could be reached for comment.
According to the suit, multiple current and former Equitas employees have complained about discrimination. The suit cites a 2021 investigation by the Columbus Dispatch in which employees “reported they experienced or witnessed microaggressions, inadequate training, and an inability to advance within the organization for people of color, as well as discriminatory disciplinary actions, and harassment.”
After the Dispatch article was published, Equitas hired an outside firm to investigate the claims, which led to the resignation of Equitas’ then-CEO Bill Hardy.
The suit states that Equitas started a compensation study and instructed Davolio and other management to evaluate their staff and adjust their pay according to Equitas’ pay scale.
Davolio said she learned during this review that she was paid less than her white predecessor, and was hired at a pay grade that did not reflect her level of experience and education. She also alleges various cases of discrimination and unfair treatment against her while working for the company.
The suit states that in August 2022, Davolio asked Page and Dwayne Steward, Equitas’ chief people and culture officer, to fix the issues with her pay and increase her salary. She renewed her request in December that year, and Page said she would look into it.
“In March 2023, during a touch base meeting with Steward, Plaintiff mentioned that she was upset because she had now been with Defendant for a year and had not received a pay raise,” the suit states. “Steward stated he thought they had already given her a raise and otherwise addressed her issues.”
The suit alleges that in a later meeting with Page and representatives of the human resources department, Page told Davolio that the company had hired an outside firm to investigate her claims and found no basis for them.
Davolio says in her lawsuit that she was surprised and disagreed with the outcome of the investigation because no one had contacted her about her claims.
“She requested a copy of the report from the ‘outside organization’ that conducted the investigation of her complaints and asked that her email be forwarded to the CEO, and the Board for review,” the suit says. “Plaintiff received no response.”
Soon afterward, the suit alleges, Davolio was placed on paid administrative leave with no reason other than mention of an investigation. On Aug. 3, 2023, Davolio was terminated without further explanation, the suit states.
Davolio’s complaint includes a demand for a jury trial. The suit asks for “past and future” wages and benefits, $50,000 in compensatory and punitive damages, and attorney and court fees.
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