Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 prohibits discrimination based on sex, color, religion, race, and national (ethnic) origin. Other statutes prohibit discrimination based on age and disability. But, the statute does not apply to all businesses. An employer must have 15 or more employees for Title VII to apply. For the Age
Coach Kearney Starts Discovery Phase
Coach Bev Kearney’s lawsuit has returned back to the trial court. She will soon start deposing various officials, including former Coach Mack Brown. She also plans to depose former school president, Bill Powers and former Athletic Director, DeLoss Dodds.
I previously wrote about her lawsuit here. Coach Kearney alleges she received harsher discipline in 2013
Celebrity Chef Accused of Sexual Harassment Incidents
The “outing” of celebrity sexual harassers continues. John Besh, the celebrity chef from New Orleans, has admitted to an improper sexual relationship. A female employee filed a complaint with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission alleging he pressured her for a relationship. The New Orleans Times Picayune has reported that 25 current or former female employees
Seventh Circuit Rejects Extended Leave
If a person needs an extended leave for treatment for a bad back, would the ADA require an employer to allow him an extra few months? The Seventh Circuit in Severson v. Heartland Woodcraft, Inc., No. 15-3754 (7th Cir. 9/20/2017), said no. Ray Severson, left work for his full 12 weeks of unpaid leave
Two Remarks Not Enough for Hostile Work Environment
Many workers believe they have been subjected to discriminatory comments by co-workers. Harassment by co-workers is sometimes referred to as a hostile work environment. It does not become actionable until management becomes aware of the harassment and fails to take action. But, what if the perceived discrimination is not necessarily discrimination? In Barnes v. Prairie
Whataburger Sued for Discrimination
The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission has sued a local icon, Whataburger. The Tallahassee Whataburger, the EEOC alleges, harassed a manager after she refused to hire only white people. The EEOC claims the General Manager told the assistant manager to only interview people with “white sounding” names. Vanessa Burrous, instead, hired seven black employees and one
Oral Arguments in Same Sex Harassment Case
The Texas Supreme Court heard oral arguments in the Clark v. Alamo Heights Independent School District case. The San Antonio Court of Appeals recognized same sex harassment in that case. The school district has now appealed the matter to the Texas Supreme Court. The lawyer for the district appears to be trying to un-do that
Excluding Medical Coverage Amounted to Retaliation
In Whitley v. Dr. Pepper Snapple Group, Inc., 2017 LEXIS 68040 (E.D. Tex. 2017), the Plaintiff’s son was diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder in September, 2015. Amy Whitley claimed Dr. Pepper discriminated against her because it denied coverage for Applied Behavior Analysis treatment, a form of therapy for autism spectrum disorder. Dr. Pepper’s Summary
Bolling Out at Fox News
So, Eric Bolling is out at Fox News. Yet another Fox News personality is gone due to allegations of sex harassment. See CNN news report. I previously wrote about Mr. Boling’s troubles here. Mr. Bolling was accused of sending lewd text messages to several female co-workers.
The Fox News boys club may be
Lower Back Sprain is not a Disability
What is a disability? A potential client asked me that recently. A broken leg, for example, is not an impairment that would qualify for coverage under the Americans with Disabilities Act. To qualify as a disability, the impairment must be permanent or something like permanent. It must also be serious. In Datar v. National Oilwell