Thompson v. Nissan North America Incorporated

**Thompson v. Nissan North America: Sex Discrimination in Hiring** This case involved a sex discrimination complaint in hiring practices. A worker filed charges claiming that an employer discriminated against them based on sex when making hiring decisions. The key evidence was a memorandum (called the Hoel memorandum) that specifically requested "preferably male" candidates for certain positions. Initially, a commission dismissed the discrimination charge, and a trial court agreed with that dismissal. However, when the case was appealed, a higher court reversed both decisions. The appellate court found that there was substantial evidence supporting the sex discrimination claim, pointing specifically to the memo requesting male candidates. The court also determined that the commission's investigation procedures were inadequate and violated constitutional requirements. **What This Means for Workers:** This ruling is significant because it shows that courts will overturn inadequate investigations into discrimination complaints. It demonstrates that written evidence explicitly favoring one gender over another (like the "preferably male" memo) constitutes strong proof of discrimination. Workers should know that if initial investigations dismiss their claims improperly, they may have grounds to appeal and potentially win their cases on review.