Discrimination Cases

This suit was brought under the Tennessee Human Rights Act by two African-American employees against their employer and their union to recover for alleged discrimination that created a hostile work environment. At issue in this appeal is the grant of summary judgment to the union on the basis that it did not cause or attempt to cause the employer to discriminate. Upon our de novo review, we conclude that the evidence presented at the summary judgment stage negated an essential element of the Plaintiffs' claim and thus summary judgment was warranted. Judgment affirmed.

The trial court did not abuse its discretion in regulating the discovery process, or in excluding expert testimony that failed to take into account independent variables that could influence association between age and RIF termination rates. The assignments of error are overruled, and the trial court's judgment as based on the jury's verdict is affirmed.

Judgment affirmed. The trial court did not err in granting defendants summary judgment on plaintiff's claims for race discrimination and retaliation. Plaintiff failed to present evidence indicating that one of the court director's stated reasons for upholding the suspension, plaintiff's failure to check in and out with his supervisor as required, was a pretext for discrimination. Plaintiff failed to establish a prima facie case of retaliation.