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The Employer Handbook BlogWhen “Boys Will Be Boys” Becomes Exhibit A
A supervisor was shown a slur drawn across a face on a breakroom whiteboard and shrugged it off. A federal appeals court didn’t.
Articles Posted in Retaliation
A Supervisor’s Anti-BLM Comments Weren’t Enough to Prove Race Discrimination
An employee accused his manager of anti-Black bias over comments made eight months earlier. A federal appeals court said the comments were about politics, not race, and the case fell apart.
She Called Equity Training Racist. Her Own Words About a Black Employee Said Otherwise.
She said the training singled out white employees as inherently racist. Her own testimony said otherwise, and that’s what sank her case.
Trashing an Employee on Social Media Can Count as Retaliation
A hospital and university didn’t just demote an employee over his criticism of a race-based practice. They went on social media to trash him, and that’s the bigger legal problem.
How Inviting Employee Dialogue Created a Religious Discrimination Case
You’ve probably seen the headlines. Two flight attendants fired for posting about the Equality Act, a Ninth Circuit reversal, and the usual takes about religion vs. LGBTQ rights in the workplace. Here’s what those takes mostly missed.
Checking the Wrong Boxes on an EEOC Charge Has Real Consequences. This Case Is a Good Example.
She filed an EEOC charge. She just didn’t file the right one.
The Racial Slur the CEO Knew About. The $21 Million Verdict That Followed.
A racial slur used in 2007 was still admissible evidence at a 2024 trial. The employer’s failure to address it helped produce a $21 million verdict.
She Complained About Harassment, Got a Protective Order, and Was Fired the Next Day. An $80K Lesson in Bad Timing.
According to the EEOC, an employee complained about six months of sexual harassment. Her employer allegedly did nothing. So she went to court, got a protective order against the harasser, handed a copy to HR, and was fired the next day. The harasser kept his job.
What Happens When an Employee Frames a Workplace Grievance as Religious Expression?
A school district police officer posted a prayer on Facebook criticizing his supervisors. He was fired. His lawsuit raised constitutional claims, a retaliation claim, and a religious discrimination claim. The Fifth Circuit affirmed dismissal on all of them, and the reasons why are a useful lesson for any employer.