A Special View From A Pew Editorial: It's Time to Put this Caucasian conversation to Rest

There is a quiet whisper moving through parts of Columbus’ White community. It has taken shape as a whisper campaign across Facebook, Instagram and other social media platforms. The subject? Former City Manager Isaiah Hugley and his decision to file a discrimination complaint with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission after his termination.

Let’s be clear: this is not a new issue, nor is it disqualifying. In fact, City Council itself already set the precedent that suing the city is not a barrier to public service. A current member of council, Byron Hickey, once filed an EEOC complaint, sued the city, won, collected a settlement—and now sits on council without controversy. When he was appointed on May 27 of this year to replace the late Jerry “Pops” Barnes, the matter was treated as a nonissue then, and it should remain one now.

Yet, in political season, whispers become weapons. They are designed to sow doubt, create suspicion where none is warranted, and paint those who defend themselves as somehow unfit for leadership. But the truth is the opposite: if a man will not stand up for himself, how can he be expected to stand up for the people he seeks to represent?

Hugley followed the proper process—a process protected by federal law under the Civil Rights Act—for those who believe they have been wronged. The EEOC exists to investigate discrimination, whether based on race, gender or other protected categories. The filing of a claim is not scandal; it is a constitutional right.

The so-called “Caucasian conversation” making its rounds is not about fairness, precedent or facts. It is about perception—manufacturing a reason to dismiss a qualified Black leader by suggesting his lawsuit makes him unworthy. But if that standard were applied equally, then sitting council members who exercised the same rights would be disqualified as well.

That is why our community must confront whisper campaigns directly. Rumor should never be allowed to harden into narrative. Selective memory must not erase the truth. Hugley’s legal action is not a weakness—it is proof of his strength. It shows a willingness to fight when wronged. That is exactly the quality voters should expect in a representative.

The whisperers may keep talking, but the precedent is settled: suing the city is not an obstacle to public service. It wasn’t for council before, and it shouldn’t be for Hugley now.

It is time to put this whisper campaign—and the “Caucasian conversation” behind it—to rest.