Woke DEI mob targets conservative musician, sparking legal battle

Knoxville, TN — The Coolidge Reagan Foundation is standing up for accomplished clarinetist James Zimmermann in his fight against discriminatory DEI practices at the Knoxville Symphony Orchestra. James, the winner of a highly competitive multi-day blind audition, had his offer revoked in favor of a DEI hire who did not perform as well. "Blind auditions are truly merit-based. Allowing taxpayer-funded cultural institutions to toss merit aside on the alter of DEI is deeply unamerican. The Coolidge Reagan Foundation stands against this corruption of American principles," said Coolidge Reagan chairman, Shaun McCutcheon.

In September 2025, Zimmermann was invited to a start-to-finish blind audition for the full-time Principal Clarinet position with the Knoxville Symphony Orchestra. Blind auditions, in which musicians perform behind a screen to ensure decisions are based solely on performance, are the uniform standard in the industry, designed to eliminate bias and ensure the best musician gets the job.

After winning multiple rounds, Zimmermann was told he had been selected as the top performer and would "be on the payroll" within two weeks. Days later, the decision was reversed, and the Knoxville Symphony Orchestra instead hired a candidate who checked all the DEI boxes but didn't perform as well during the audition process.

"Years earlier, as an outspoken conservative, I was labeled 'not DEI enough' at another symphony and pushed out by the woke mob," Zimmermann said. "Knoxville used that cancellation to toss out a fully screened audition process, raising serious questions about fairness in publicly supported arts institutions."

Now, with legal support from the Coolidge Reagan Foundation, Zimmermann is fighting back. Not just for himself, but for every American who believes the most qualified candidate should get the job, not the most "diverse" or politically correct.

Dan Backer of Chalmers, Adams, Backer & Kaufman, counsel for the Coolidge Reagan Foundation, says the issue carries broader implications because symphony orchestras in Tennessee receive public funding.

"Organizations that benefit from local, state, and federal tax dollars have a responsibility to operate on merit—not the political whims of their leaders," Backer said. "Merit-based processes should not suddenly change after someone wins an audition. The Symphony tried to re-write the rules after James spent 100 hours preparing for and winning the audition process—all to cave to DEI activism."

The lawsuit seeks compensation and other appropriate relief for the wrongful and discriminatory refusal to hire Zimmermann, the best performer throughout the audition process.

ABOUT THE COOLIDGE REAGAN FOUNDATION

For more than a decade, the Coolidge Reagan Foundation has defended free speech, exposed corrupt politicians, and protected election integrity, ensuring America's founding principles endure. Its 2018 complaint against Hillary Clinton and the Democratic National Committee over the unlawful funding of the Steele Dossier led to a six-figure fine—the only fine ever levied against her. The foundation's 2019 complaint against Bernie Sanders for hiring illegal aliens led to a five-figure penalty, and it has fearlessly taken on the political corruption of Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Cori Bush, Jasmine Crockett, and Rashida Tlaib, among others.

For more information, visit www.coolidgereagan.org.

To request an interview or a copy of the complaint, please contact: Ashley Losoya at ashley@prosepolitical.com.