Discrimination Cases

summary judgment - sex discrimination - gender discrimination - sexual harassment - privacy interest - R.C. 4112.02(A) - retaliatory discrimination - circumstantial evidence - R.C. 4112.02(I) - aiding and abetting to commit discrimination - R.C. 4112.02(J)

This case involves the dismissal of a Tennessee Human Rights Act (THRA) action filed by Jamal Watson against the Tennessee Board of Regents (TBR) and Pellissippi State Community College (PSCC) (collectively the defendants). PSCC offered Watson a fulltime, tenure-track position, but subsequently rescinded the offer. Watson filed a THRA case in the Circuit Court for Knox County (the trial court) against the defendants alleging race discrimination. He later filed a notice of claim for breach of contract in the Tennessee Claims Commission against the same entities. The defendants filed a motion to dismiss in the trial court alleging that the court lacked subject matter jurisdiction. The defendants asserted that Watson waived his cause of action against "any state officer or employee," pursuant to Tenn. Code Ann. § 9-8-307(b), by filing a claim against the state in the Tennessee Claims Commission. The trial court granted the motion to dismiss. Watson appeals. We reverse.

Where the evidence and circumstances showed that company-wide demographic statistics were likely to prove relevant to a disparate impact claim (either to aid or damage the claim), such statistics were properly discoverable and summary judgment granted against claimants denied their discovery is reversed.

In the absence of a genuine issue of material fact, the trial court did not err in granting summary judgment in favor of Miami Valley Hospital on Noelle Diller's claims of sexual harassment (hostile environment) and retaliation. While the trial court abused its discretion in striking Exhibits B, C, and D, attached to Diller's memorandum in opposition to MVH's motion for summary judgment, since the Exhibits were properly authenticated business records, the documents were either not in dispute, were otherwise part of the record, or were not relevant to the summary judgment decision, and the error was harmless. Judgment affirmed.

This appeal involves an employment discrimination and retaliation lawsuit initiated by former employees of a hospital's Security Services Department. The trial court granted summary judgment to the hospital defendants on all claims, holding that plaintiff employees had failed to establish a prima facie case of discrimination or retaliation. The employees appeal. We affirm.

wrongful discharge, public policy, R.C. 4112.14, age discrimination, Civ.R. 56, visiting judge

Civ.R. 56/summary judgment disability discrimination. The trial court erred by granting summary judgment in appellee's favor. Appellant presented evidence sufficient enough to create a genuine issue of material fact.

disability discrimination - age discrimination - legitimate, nondiscriminatory basis for employment action - pretext - timing of notifying employer

arbitration agreement, unconscionability, waiver of a jury trial, scope of arbitration