AT&T President fired after racist text, faces $100m discrimination suit

AT&T President Aaron Slator has been fired and faces a $100million discrimination lawsuit after he used his work phone to send a racist message.

The picture featured an African child dancing with an offensive caption. Slater had sent it as a text, describing it as ‘an oldie but a goodie’.

This was then found by an assistant after Slator asked them to transfer data across to a new phone, according to the lawsuit filed by Knoyme King.

King's lawyer, Skip Miller, told AP on 28 April that the lawsuit will continue and said the company failed to take action earlier, even though the its Human Resources department and Board of Directors had been alerted to the issue. It also claims that King was passed over for promotions and given inferior raises because of her race.

"There is no place for demeaning behaviour within AT&T and we regret the action was not taken earlier," the telecoms company said in a statement.