Breuder v. Board of Trustees of Community College District No. 502, DuPage County, Illinois

**What Happened** Maria Portilla worked for Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company for 22 years. During her employment, she had a family relationship that technically violated the company's anti-nepotism policy (which prevents family members from working together in certain situations). However, Goodyear allowed this arrangement to continue for years without enforcing the policy. Eventually, the company demanded that Portilla transfer to a different position to fix the policy violation. When she refused the transfer, Goodyear fired her. **What the Court Decided** The court sided with Portilla, affirming a jury's decision that Goodyear had wrongfully terminated her. The court found that by allowing the nepotism situation to continue for so long without taking action, Goodyear had essentially waived (given up) its right to enforce the anti-nepotism policy against her. **Why This Matters for Workers** This ruling shows that employers can't selectively enforce their own policies after ignoring violations for extended periods. If a company consistently overlooks policy violations and allows certain situations to continue, they may lose the right to suddenly change course and punish employees. Workers should document when employers fail to enforce policies consistently, as this could provide protection against unfair termination.