Richard L. Armstrong v. Lance, Incorporated, Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, Amicus Curiae

**Armstrong v. Lance, Incorporated (1994)** Richard Armstrong, an employee at Lance, Incorporated, sued his former employer claiming he was fired because of his race and for complaining about discrimination. Armstrong argued that supervisors had made racist comments and that his termination was retaliation for speaking up about racial discrimination in the workplace. The court ruled in favor of Lance, Incorporated. Even though there was evidence that supervisors had made racist remarks, the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals found that Armstrong was actually fired for poor job performance, not because of his race or his complaints about discrimination. The court determined that the company had legitimate business reasons for the termination that were unrelated to race or retaliation. **What this means for workers:** This case shows that proving workplace discrimination can be challenging, even when racist comments are made by supervisors. Courts will look at the actual reasons for employment decisions, and employers can still fire workers for poor performance even if discriminatory remarks occurred. Workers should document both discriminatory behavior and their own job performance carefully. While this case didn't favor the employee, workers still have the right to report discrimination and are protected by law from retaliation when they do so in good faith.