The heated conflict between Keller Williams, a renowned real estate firm, and its ex-CEO, John Davis, is escalating. Allegations of sexual misconduct, executive turmoil, withdrawn sexual abuse claims, and reported unethical practices have thrown the company’s reputation into question. Everyone is keeping a close eye on how the company manages the lawsuit and the expectation for significant internal changes to prevent similar future occurrences.
Keller Williams has refuted a lawsuit initiated by Davis, suggesting that his lawsuit is merely a publicity stunt. The company asserts that Davis is manipulating the legal system to his advantage. Davis served as CEO from 2017 to 2019 and exitted under unfriendly circumstances.
Addressing misconduct accusations at Keller Williams
He was once accused of sexual misconduct by a former Keller Williams agent, who later retracted her allegations, conceding to a consensual relationship.
In a countersuit, Davis accused Keller Williams, co-founder Gary Keller, and ex-president Josh Team of unethical and fraudulent business practices. He alleges they plotted to devalue his franchise in order to buy it at a lower price, thereby violating their fiduciary responsibilities.
Davis also highlighted concerns about the corporate culture at Keller Williams, stating that the unethical conduct was not isolated to his case. He seeks to expose these practices through his lawsuit. To date, Keller, Team, and Keller Williams have yet to respond to these allegations.
Keller Williams disputes Davis’s claims, framing his latest lawsuit as publicity-seeking. The company asserts that Davis’s arguments are mere regurgitations from the original lawsuit and as such, he should be held in contempt for disregarding a previous arbitration ruling.
Keller Williams insists that the arbitration agreement from the first lawsuit should also apply to the current one. The company rejects Davis’s racketeering and fraud allegations, citing lack of evidence and irrelevance to civil laws.
