Category: Employment Discrimination

While claims of employment discrimination are somewhat commonplace, it is far less common to see cases of discrimination based on color. In Felder v MGM National Harbor, No. 20-2373, the United States Court of Appeals for the Court Circuit reversed a trial court and allowed a claim of color discrimination to proceed beyond the Motion to Dismiss stage.  The case arose when the plaintiff, Britney Felder, filed suit alleging that she was...

The Seventh Circuit recently reaffirmed the need to identify a relevant comparator in discrimination claims.  In Abebe v. Health and Hospital Corporation of Marion County, Ms. Abebe worked as a dental assistant starting in 2014.  Her behavior during her employment was marked with multiple concerns about her attitude and interactions with others.  In 2016, she received a poor review for "respect" due to her negative attitude and poor interactions...

I am not a procrastinator by nature, although some of my closest friends (and a few family members) are.  For me, waiting until the last minute to get something done is just irritating and anxiety provoking.  But enough oversharing.   My point is that, waiting until the last minute to accomplish a task can have a negative outcome. That is what happened to Brian Lax, a former FEMA employee who sued for disability discrimination.  Lax v. Mayorkas...

From time to time I get questions from employers about the legal risks associated with transfer or reassignment of a poor performing employee.  Maybe a contract prevents immediate termination, or the current office dynamic simply isn’t good.  The relationship with the employee is on a rapid decline and the employer wants to know- will the transfer increase the risk of liability for an employment discrimination claim? As lawyers often say to our...