The question arrises in many discrimination cases how far back can the plaintiff go in presenting relevant evidence? Title VII itself provides that a complainant must file his/her complaint within 300 days of the act of discrimination. Can the plaintiff present evidence of harassing conduct before that 300 days started? Yes, of course. The theory
One of the many challenges with every employment case involves which judge hears the lawsuit. If the wrong judge is assigned to a given lawsuit, the chances of prevailing diminish. Lauren Browning learned this when she filed a lawsuit in 2005 alleging she was discriminated against on the basis of her gender at Southwest Research
Many federal judges avoid employment cases partly because they involve so much detail. But, it is in those details that a circumstantial case is won or lost. And, most employment cases depend on circumstantial evidence. in Robinson v. Jackson State, No. 16-60760 (5th Cir. 12/4/2017) (unpublished), the Fifth Circuit dived into those details and
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
A critical issue for many persons who suffer any illness is recovery and treatment. That comes as no surprise. Yet, it seems to surprise many courts. The issue often arises when the employee asks to work from home. The employee and his/her doctor may not know to any degree of certainty how long the recovery
The Fifth Circuit reversed summary judgment in another case recently. In Caldwell v. KHOU-TV Company, Inc., No. 16-20408 (5th Cir. 3/6/2017), the court addressed ADA and FMLA issues. Gerald Caldwell worked at KHOU TV as a video editor. Due to a childhood disease, he needed the aid of crutches for walking. Mr. Caldwell notified
Persons who have a disability are entitled to accommodation if necessary. But, there are limits to the sort of accommodation they can expect. One limit on requests for accommodation is that the person cannot seek an indefinite leave. An employer should not have to wait forever or close to forever for an employee to return
In the world of jobs, anything is possible. In the employment world, we deal with human behavior in all its manifestations. We see a crazy case in Fisher v. Lufkin Industries, Inc., No. 15-40428 (5th Cir. 2/10/2017). William Fisher had worked for Lufkin Industries off and on for some 20 years when he was
In a per curiam decision, the Fifth Circuit reversed summary judgment for the employer. In Stennett v. Tupelo Public School District, No. 13-60783 (5th Cir. 7/30/2015), Ms. Stennett argued she was more qualified than the persons chosen for various district jobs. Ms. Stennett had formerly worked for the Tupelo Public School District for some
Judges matter. The life experiences they bring to the bench matter. So, when I see a concurrence like the one written by Judge Jones of the Fifth Circuit, I become concerned. In Pineda v. JTCH Apartments, LLC, No. 15-10932 (5th Cir. 12/19/2016), the employee recovered some $5,000 in damages. Santiago Pineda was a maintenance