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
How Much Retaliation is Enough Retaliation
In a recent decision, the Fifth Circuit addressed the difficult question regarding what level of reprisal is enough to constitute retaliation? In Cabral v. Brennan, 853 F.3d 763 (5th Cir. 2017), Javier Cabral worked for the U.S. Postal Service. He complained about discrimination several times. He was then placed on a two day suspension
Fifth Circuit Rejects Prohibition on Recordings
T-Mobile has work rules including: 1) Maintain a positive work environment, 2) No arguing or fighting; respect co-workers, 3) no photography, or video or audio recording, and 4) no access to electronic information by non-approved persons. The National Labor Relations Board found these four rules to violate the National Labor Relations Act. The NLRA allows
Houston Court of Appeals Rejects Direct Evidence
“Direct” evidence of discrimination generally means a statement that clearly indicates discriminatory intent. In one of my early cases, a San Antonio manager said “we need to get rid of all the lazy ass niggers here.” That statement clearly evinces discriminatory intent.The bias is clear with no need for additional explanation. In Okpere v. National
Lawsuit Seeks Trump Deposition
Some folks refer to the President as the Twitter-in-Chief. Well, he should also be considered as the Litigator-in-Chief. He tossed out provocative statements at campaign rallies like they were candy. At one rally in Louisville, he exhorted his supporters to rough up a couple of protesters. He also added, as the protesters were being forced
Interactive Process Requires Good Faith
When you ask for an accommodation, you need to be careful what you ask for. Because, you just might get it. That is an old saying and it applies to the decision in Dillard v. City of Austin, 837 F.3d 557 (5th Cir. 2016). Derrick Dillard worked for the City of Austin. He was
Success Rates Plummet in Federal Court
Success rates for plaintiffs in federal court have dropped dramatically from the 1980’s. In a study by two University of Connecticut law professors, they reported a success rate of 70% for plaintiffs in federal court in the mid 1980’s. The study looked at adjudicated civil cases of all types. That rate dropped to about 35%
Fifth Circuit Discounts Inconsistent Explanation
It is a strange ruling in Alkhwaldeh v. Dow Chemical Company, 851 F.3d 422 (5th Cir. 2017). The three judge panel consistently refers to Mr. Alkhwaldeh by his first name, Ammar, not by his last name. The opinion also recognizes that the employer provided inconsistent explanations for the termination, but disregards those inconsistencies. Dow