Former Latino executive sues Lowe’s, alleging firing was retaliation for DEI push
A former finance director for Lowe’s is suing the home improvement giant, alleging he was wrongfully fired for advocating for Latino workers, among other claims, according to a federal lawsuit.
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Ivan Diaz-Campos, a Hispanic Mecklenburg County resident, filed a lawsuit in May against the Mooresville-based company. On June 17, Lowe’s moved to transfer the case from state to federal court in Charlotte, since the claims were based on federal laws.
Diaz-Campos claims he faced unequal treatment, was unfairly disciplined, placed on a performance improvement plan and ultimately fired because of his race and ethnicity and in retaliation for whistleblowing corporate misconduct, according to the lawsuit.
When Lowe’s hired Diaz-Campos in January 2015, he brought roughly 10 years of finance experience. During his time with Lowe’s, he received positive performance reviews, faced no disciplinary action and rose to become director of finance and divisional finance lead, according to the lawsuit.
The lawsuit claims he faced pushback for advocating for diversity, equity and inclusion efforts as one of only four Latino employees in the finance department. Diaz-Campos said his supervisor told him he had “too much on his plate” for DEI initiatives and asserted that hiring Latino workers was not a priority. Diaz-Campos was also blocked from joining an interview panel for interns, the suit added.
In July 2023, Diaz-Campos’ supervisor placed him on a performance improvement plan. Diaz-Campos alleges the criticisms of his work were fabricated and used as a pretext to penalize his DEI advocacy.
In October of that year, Diaz-Campos alleges Lowe’s management directed him to communicate lowered and manipulated sales figures for the prior year in order to artificially inflate year-over-year growth data for Lowe’s Pro Sales operations, according to the lawsuit.
Diaz-Campos rejected those directions, warning that misleading accounting figures would violate federal and state laws and impact store employees’ compensation under the N.C. Wage and Hour Act.
In November 2023, during the ongoing debate over sales numbers, the supervisor emailed an employee stating that “the ask was this not be a written communication,” according to the lawsuit. Diaz-Campos claims the message shows management actively tried to avoid a paper trail for questionable adjustments.
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In early December 2023, Lowe’s fired Diaz-Campos for allegedly failing to complete his improvement plan, the lawsuit said. He claims the grounds for termination were false and retaliatory. After he was fired, the company replaced him with a white employee who had not engaged in protected advocacy, the suit added.
Diaz-Campos filed a formal discrimination charge in June 2024 with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, alleging racial bias and retaliation. The EEOC issued Diaz-Campos a formal Notice of Right-to-Sue in February 2026, fulfilling the legal prerequisite to file his lawsuit in May.
Diaz-Campos is seeking monetary damages in excess of $100,000, along with job reinstatement, back pay and lost benefits. A jury trial has been requested.
Attorneys for Diaz-Campos did not respond to a request for comment from The Charlotte Observer.
A Lowe’s spokesperson said the company does not comment on pending litigation, but said it is committed to diversity and that inclusion is embedded in its values. Lowe’s said these values are core to who it is as a brand and are reflected in company leaders.
“We’re proud of our accomplishments, and we will continue to strive to cultivate a workplace that best serves the customers and communities where we operate and where everyone feels welcomed, valued, and respected,” the spokesperson said to the Observer.
Lowe’s has about 300,000 workers companywide across 1,759 home improvement stores. The Fortune 500 retailer is headquartered in Mooresville, where it employs over 500 corporate workers, according to the lawsuit.
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