The Knoxville Symphony Orchestra and its CEO have come under scrutiny after the clarinet player James Zimmermann filed a lawsuit alleging that they had refused to hire him over Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI).
Newsweek has contacted a media representative for the Tennessee-based orchestra via email and Zimmermann via social media message outside of normal business hours for comment.
Why It Matters
DEI initiatives are frameworks that look to promote the fair treatment of all people, but in particular, marginalized groups who have historically been subjected to discrimination.
These initiatives came into the political spotlight in the U.S. in 2020, following the murder of George Floyd, an event that sparked a global conversation about racism and inequality.
Following the reelection of President Donald Trump, the president rescinded numerous executive orders from the Biden era, and ordered what he termed “ending radical and wasteful government DEI programs and preferencing.”
DEI initiatives have become something of a lightning rod in modern politics, with their supporters advocating for them to increase diversity, and their critics arguing that their policies are unfair to others.
What To Know
Zimmermann, who has made multiple viral social media posts about his lawsuit, alleges that he won a blind audition for the principal clarinet at the Knoxville Symphony. However, he was then contacted by the symphony’s CEO, Rachel Ford, who said that he would not get the job. Zimmerman said that this was because of his “Ousting from the Nashville Symphony six years ago for resisting DEI as the reason.”
Zimmermann was fired in 2020 from the Nashville Symphony. The right-leaning Washington Free Beacon wrote an extensive piece about his firing. The outlet reported that, according to his accusers, Zimmermann has insulted, intimidated, and stalked his colleagues. The outlet reported that HR complaints had been filed against him and referenced an email sent by Zimmermann, which referenced a brewing “war” and the potential of “physical harm,” which one of his colleagues described as a “cry of help.”
Addressing this email in a recent post on X, Zimmermann said “Wasn’t smart of me to email this guy after getting home late from a concert, but he and his friends had been reporting made-up stories about me to management for a year trying to get me fired.”
The Washington Free Beacon’s piece cited ex-colleagues of Zimmerman who suggested he had been the target of a witch hunt. It raises the question of the role of DEI and “woke” politics in the firing.
Zimmermann filed a lawsuit against the Knoxville Symphony Society in Knox County, Tennessee on December 23, 2025.
The complaint seeks “compensation and other appropriate relief for the Defendant’s wrongful and discriminatory refusal to hire him.”
Zimmermann has shared multiple posts about the lawsuit and the Knoxville Symphony Society on X, which have amassed millions of views. One of these posts includes an email from Ford, where her contact information is visible. One reply to that post, viewed over 100,000 times, reads “Oh good her phone number and email.”
Zimmermann has now been interviewed by popular conservative media personalities Megyn Kelly and Steve Bannon. A reply to one of his posts on X, viewed over 40,000 times, describes him as “MAGA hero of the week.”
Harmeet Dhillon, the United States assistant attorney general for the Civil Rights Division, has also responded to the case online, writing “Rachel, we have questions,” in a post on X.
What People Are Saying
James Zimmermann, in a post on X: “I was excited to take the stage with the Knoxville Symphony but instead I’ll see them in court. If Knoxville thought I’d walk away from this they were sorely mistaken.”
What Happens Next?
As of reporting, the Knoxville Symphony Orchestra hasn’t publicly addressed the lawsuit and ensuing online fallout.
Ford told Fox News Digital that they expect to make a public announcement later this week.
