Title VII

Could Pre-Employment Strength Testing Equal Discrimination?

the situation Prior to hiring candidates for specific positions with certain physical requirements, an employer requires the candidates to undergo a strength test.  If this ends up weeding out more women than men, could this be discriminatory? the ruling It could be.  CSX Transportation, Inc. just agreed to pay $3.2 million and provide some other […]

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Is Calling Someone “Boy” Discriminatory?

the situation A supervisor repeatedly calls an employee “boy,” even after the employee requests that he stop referring to him in that way. After the employee is fired, he claims that he was subjected to discrimination in violation of Title VII.  Can calling him “boy” support such a claim? the ruling It depends on a […]

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Can Straight Employee Bring a Claim for Reverse Discrimination?

the situation A heterosexual employee posts an anti-LGBTQ comment on Facebook. She claims that after learning about this post, her supervisor, a member of the LGBTQ community, begins treating her differently and ultimately fires her.  Can she bring a claim of discrimination under Title VII? the ruling The EEOC says yes.  Last week, the EEOC […]

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Can You Require Employees to Get a Flu Shot?

the situation An employer has a policy requiring all new employees to get a flu shot. After a job offer is extended to a certain applicant, she tells the employer that she has a religious objection to getting a flu shot.  If the employer revokes the job offer, is this discrimination? the ruling It might […]

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Does Calling Someone a B*tch Create a Hostile Work Environment?

the situation A female employee claims that a male co worker has repeatedly called her a stupid b*tch.  Can she successfully assert a claim for hostile work environment?

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Can an Employee Assert Defamation Based on Info Given to the EEOC?

the situation A former employee files an EEOC charge. The EEOC requests a position statement and the employer provides it.  Can the employee later use that position statement to support a claim for defamation?

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Employee Fails to Report Sexual Harassment For Fear of Retaliation-Can She Make a Claim Under Title VII?

the situation Courts have found that employers have a valid defense to a sexual harassment claim if they can show that they have a procedure in place for reporting this type of situation and an employee failed to follow it.  But what if the employee takes the position that reporting it will do no good?

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Does Employee’s Falsification of Employment Application Automatically Defeat Retaliation Claim?

the situation An employee complains that he is being harassed based on his sexual orientation and the fact that his partner is African American. Not long after he lodges this complaint, the employer discovers that although the employee stated on his job application that he graduated from community college, he had not actually graduated, but […]

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What if You Don’t Agree with a Religious Objection?

the situation You decide to implement a new time tracking system which involves the use of biometric hand scanners by employees to scan their right hands to clock in or out for a shift.  One of your long time employees claims that he cannot use this kind of hand scanner because its use would conflict […]

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Is it Retaliation to Fire A Supervisor For a Fabricated Sexual Harassment Report?

the situation One of your supervisors reports that another employee has been sexually harassing several women working under him. Your HR director interviews each of these women and none back up this story. You then terminate the reporting supervisor based on her false report. Is this retaliation in violation of Title VII?

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