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Discrimination / Harassment

East Texas college president’s secretary sues for age bias

04/06/2011
The former executive secretary to the president of Jarvis Christian College has filed an age discrimination lawsuit against the East Texas college.

Violinist, West Texas A&M playing in harmony after mediation

04/06/2011
A West Texas A&M University violin instructor, who is also a member of the university’s acclaimed Harrington String Quartet, has agreed to settle a lawsuit that alleged she was fired after she missed work due to pregnancy complications and subsequent time off she took after giving birth.

Log when you told employee about adverse decisions

04/06/2011

Employees who want to sue for discrimination under the Texas Code have to file state charges within 180 days of alleged discriminatory conduct. The time is measured from the date the employee learns of the decision. That’s why it’s important to document that you let the employee know he was being demoted, denied a promotion or is scheduled for termination.

Hey, boss, you’d better call HR! Warn managers: Don’t fix complaints informally

04/05/2011

When supervisors hear someone complaining about sexual or other harassment, they may be tempted to blow it off as a distraction or tell the co-workers involved to stop it. That’s not good enough. To prevent a successful employee lawsuit, you must impress on first-line supervisors and managers that it’s their responsibility to report any sexual harassment complaint to HR or other appropriate company official.

Document all disciplinary actions, including why and when you decided to act

03/31/2011

Some employees facing discipline believe that if they file a discrimination complaint, they can escape trouble. If disciplined, they’ll cry “retaliation!” Smart employers counter this subtle form of blackmail by clearly documenting and time-stamping all decisions and the process that led up to those decisions.

Dayton revises police exam following race bias settlement

03/31/2011

As part of a settlement with the U.S. Department of Justice, the city of Dayton has revised its police entrance examination. The DOJ and Dayton had settled a 2009 suit involving allegations that the city discriminated against black applicants who applied for jobs in both the police and fire departments.

Jury awards $900,000 in age discrimination case

03/31/2011
A 30-year veteran at University Hospitals in Cleveland has won an age discrimination case in Cuyahoga County court. Gloria Parks argued that her supervisor blamed her for the mistakes of two younger co-workers because he favored young, female workers.

Ohio Supreme Court refuses to hear false ticket case

03/31/2011
Beth Rist, former Ironton police officer and current Ironton City Council member, appears to have exhausted her legal appeals in her battle to return to uniform. The Ohio Supreme Court has declined to hear her case.

Old pay cut may be basis for new pay-bias claim

03/31/2011

It’s important to regularly review your records of evidence of past discrimination. If an employee now earns less after missing out on past promotions, each new paycheck can support an equal-pay claim under the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act. Now a court has expanded that reasoning to include lower paychecks based on past discriminatory pay cuts.

Insubordinate worker? Fire away knowing court probably won’t second-guess

03/31/2011

Employees are expected to follow directions and treat their supervisors with respect. Employees who lose their tempers or refuse to follow legitimate directions are insubordinate. That means you can terminate them, a decision courts will rarely second-guess.