National Origin Discrimination

Retaliation Claims: Surviving When Then Underlying Claim Fails

One of the worst arguments that our employment lawyers hear from employer-side attorneys is as follows: “Because there is not enough evidence to support a sexually hostile work environment, all the claims go away, even the retaliation claims.” Or, something like:...

Pregnancy Discrimination: Employers Just Can’t Help Themselves

Under the Pregnancy Discrimination Act of 1978, which amended Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, discriminating against pregnant women is an expressly unlawful form of gender discrimination. This should be clear by now. Yet, when Tara J. Smith, who was working...

Disability Discrimination: New Managers Cannot Change Determination

John Woods had a traumatic brain injury, but had long been able to work as a server at Outback Steakhouse. Outback had determined that he was able to perform the central job functions and let him work.  But, when a new manager took over, she fired John for not being...

Are Pre-Employment Strength/Agility Tests Legal?

The employment attorneys at Spitz, The Employee’s Law Firm recently met with a client who posed an interesting question: can an employer legally require an applicant for employment to perform a strength or agility test prior to hiring him or her? The answer – as the...

Disability Discrimination: The Squeeze From Shift Supervisor To Janitor To No Hours

Derrick Morgan was hired as a crew member at a McDonald’s franchise and then promoted to shift supervisor, where he successfully preformed all his job duties despite having cerebral palsy. Within a few months of Alia Corporation, which operates over 20 McDonald’s...

Race Discrimination: Title VII Protects All Races, Even Whites

Black, Red, White, Blue, Green. It doesn’t matter. Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 protects all employees from race discrimination. Title VII, as well as Ohio’s R.C. § 4112.99, prohibits discrimination against any race, any religion, any national origin, and...

Further Affirmation from the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals that Employers’ “Changing Stories,” regarding an Employee’s Termination, will be considered Strong Evidence of an Illicit Motive.

On February 4, 2013, I wrote a blog explaining how the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals considers an employer’s changing rationale for making an adverse employment decision against an employee to be strong evidence of pretext -ie- a manufactured non-discriminatory...

Is Morning Sickness A Disability For Pregnant Employees?

As our employment law attorneys have repeatedly blogged about, the definition of “disability” greatly expanded beyond that previously allowed under the Americans with Disabilities Act (“ADA”) when President Bush signed the Americans with Disabilities Act Amendments...

Military Discrimination: Returning Service Members Cannot Be Discharged For One Year Without Good Cause

Most employment attorneys know that Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act (USERRA) requires employers to rehire military servicemembers that return from service to their same position or the position that would have been attained had they not been...

Retaliation: Now That’s A Lot Of Waffles!

It starts off like any good joke, two racist pigs walk into a Waffle House… They make racist comments and harass staff based on race. The employees turn to management for help, and the manager is left with the question: What should I do? Well, here are a few choices:...