The employees—an engaged couple—both worked for the same employer. The woman filed a charge of sex discrimination with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC). Three weeks later, the employer fired the man, who then also filed a charge with the EEOC. After conciliation efforts proved unsuccessful, he sued the employer in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Kentucky under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
The lawsuit alleged that the employer had fired him in retaliation for his fiancée’s filing a claim with the EEOC. The district court granted a summary judgment to the employer. The U.S. Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed the district court’s decision, finding that the man was among the class of persons protected by the retaliation cause of action. The man then appealed this decision to the United States Supreme Court.
The Supreme Court found that, assuming the man’s allegations are true, the firing did constitute unlawful retaliation. The court also found that the Civil Rights Act does give the man a cause of action (right to sue). This decision makes it clear that third parties may now sue when they allege they are terminated because of discrimination claims brought by others.
Because the case was remanded, it returns to its starting point in the district court. The ultimate outcome will probably be for the district court to determine whether the man’s allegations are true. See Thompson v. North American Stainless, decided on January 24, 2011.
Items on this web page are general in nature. They cannot—and should not—replace consultation with a competent legal professional. Nothing on this web page should be considered rendering legal advice.
Return to top.
Return to Legal Developments.
Attorneys who practice in the area of
employment law and employment discrimination.
