Needham Holder v. City of Raleigh Jack C. Duncan, Needham Holder v. City of Raleigh Jack C. Duncan

WILKINSON, Circuit Judge:

Needham Holder, a black employee of defendant City of Raleigh, alleges that the City’s Parks and Recreation Department discriminated against him on the basis of race, in violation of 42 U.S.C. § 2000e, et seq., and 42 U.S.C. §§ 1981 and 1983. The magistrate found that, while the City’s promotion decision may have reflected “acts of nepotism,” plaintiff suffered no discrimination because of his race. While a decision-maker’s preference for friends or relatives may be relevant evidence in a Title VII disparate treatment case, we cannot conclude as a matter of law that…