Retaliation
Threats To Close Friend May Constitute Retaliation in Ali v. District of Columbia
In a recent case interpreting just what constitutes actionable retaliation as set forth in Thompson v. North am. Stainless LP, the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia concluded that threats made by a Muslim firefighter’s supervisors could also be intended as a serious threat to the firefighter’s co-worker/close friend and as a result, constitute a…
Read MoreTrial Court Definition Of Retaliation Too Narrow In Millea v. Metro-North R.R. Co.
In a recent Second Circuit Court of Appeals decision, the court determined that a trial court had erred when it issued jury instructions that too narrowly defined what retaliation means. In Millea v. Metro-North R.R. Co., a railroad employee – Christopher Millea – brought a retaliation claim under the Family and Medical Leave Act(FMLA). When the court instructed the…
Read MoreShort Time Span Between Deposition and Disciplinary Action Support Claim of Retaliation
Under Federal law, retaliating against an employee for complaining of discrimination – or being a witness in another’s claim of employment discrimination – is prohibited. A recent case examined just how long between the time an employee complains about an action being discriminatory and when negative consequences occur supports a claim of retaliation. In Benuzzi v. Board of Educ.…
Read MoreRetaliation Law Protects Fiancée
Imagine if your significant other was being discriminated at work and filed a complaint of harassment against your mutual employer. In response, the company fires you. Can you sue? A recent Supreme Court decision says – yes, in most situations. In Thompson v. North American Stainless, a man – Eric Thompson – was fired after his…
Read MoreGay Man Fired For Complaining Of Harassment Can Bring Retaliation Claim
Many times people worry if they complain to their boss or supervisor about harassment, they may be retaliated against. In order to protect workers and encourage reporting, federal law makes it illegal to “retaliate” against employees who complain about discriminatory conduct. Retaliation includes negative employment actions such as firing, but also less obvious actions such as…
Read MoreInconsistent Reasons For Firing Constitute Pretext
A recent case determined that an employer’s varying rationale for terminating a manager showed “pretext” sufficient to withstand a motion for summary judgment. In Eades v. Brookdale Senior Living Inc., a 42 –year-old man, David Eades – was fired from his job at a senior living center. Eades subsequently filed a lawsuit alleging violations of the Age Discrimination in Employment…
Read MoreCan A Fiancé Bring A Third Party Retaliation Claim?
At the end of its 2009-2010 term, the U.S. Supreme Court agreed to review the circumstances under which a third party may bring an action for retaliation. Specifically, the Court has agreed to review whether a worker may bring a suit for retaliation based on his fiancée’s filing of a sex discrimination claim against their mutual employer. In Thompson…
Read MoreIs Your Layoff Really Retaliation?
What if what looks like a standard layoff is really hiding an illegal act, such as retaliation, against an employee? Retaliation may be hard to pin down, but it may be actionable if all of the facts line up. Basically, a retaliatory firing is one that occurs because the employee has complained of discrimination or…
Read MoreDiscriminatory Denial of Pay Raise Cannot be Cured by Later Raise
We just received a good result from the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals (the federal appeals court for the states of Georgia, Florida and Alabama) in a race discrimination and retaliation case and, at the risk of seeming immodest, we’d like to share it with you. It’s a very employee-friendly decision on the issue of…
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