Seyfarth Synopsis: In a sexual harassment lawsuit brought by the EEOC, the Sixth Circuit affirmed a U.S. District Court’s grant of an employer’s motion for summary judgment after finding that the harassing employee was not a...more
Don’t listen to all the doubters – HR truly can save the day. A recent federal court decision from the Western District of Tennessee illustrates the point again: prompt and appropriate investigation of a sexual...more
Recently, the EEOC filed an appeal in EEOC v. AutoZone, Inc. et al., arguing that the lower court erred in dismissing the case against AutoZone Inc. by improperly requiring the EEOC to show that the employee at issue suffered...more
As we have previously noted, the EEOC continues to push the envelope on many fronts, including new theories/arguments in cases brought under Americans With Disabilities Act, 42 U.S.C. § 12101 et seq. (“ADA”), such as its...more
As we have previously reported, the U.S. Supreme Court held earlier this year in EEOC v. Mach Mining, 135 S.Ct. 1645 (2015) that courts have the authority to review whether the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC)...more
Court Rejects Auto Parts Retailer's Request to Second-Guess EEOC Investigation - CHICAGO - A federal district court has denied a request by auto parts retailer AutoZone to limit the scope of a nationwide disability...more
In EEOC v. Autozone, Inc., Case No. 14-CV-5579 (N.D. Ill. Aug. 4, 2015), Judge Amy St. Eve of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois granted summary judgment in favor of the defendant and against the...more
On November 17, 2014, a San Diego federal jury of five men and three women awarded Plaintiff Rosario Juarez $185 million dollars in punitive damages in her pregnancy discrimination lawsuit against her former employer AutoZone...more
On November 17, a federal jury returned a verdict against AutoZone in favor of a single plaintiff for the insane amount of $185,000,000.00 in punitive damages. The plaintiff alleged gender and pregnancy-related harassment,...more
Back in the summer, we wrote about the Equal Opportunity Commission’s release of its updated enforcement guidance on pregnancy discrimination claims under the Pregnancy Discrimination Act. Under the PDA, discrimination based...more
In a stunning employment verdict, a California jury awarded $185 million in punitive damages and $873,000 in compensatory damages to a former AutoZone store manager who claimed the auto-parts retailer mistreated her based on...more
Hispanic Employee Subjected to Egregious Slurs and Forced to Resign, Federal Agency Charges - WILMINGTON, N.C. - AutoZoners, LLC, the company that operates AutoZone stores nationwide, unlawfully subjected a Hispanic...more
Auto Parts Giant Fired Black Manager for Resisting Race-Based Transfer, Federal Agency Charges - CHICAGO - Automotive parts retail chain AutoZone, Inc. violated federal law when it forced a black sales manager to...more
Federal Agency Charges Giant Auto Parts Retailer Failed to Accommodate Disability-Related Absences of Employees, Retaliated Against Employee for Protesting - CHICAGO - AutoZone, Inc. violated federal law when it...more
Appeals Court Upholds Injunction and $415,000 Award to Disabled Former Employee - CHICAGO - The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit has affirmed a $424,000 judgment (including $9,000 in costs) against AutoZone,...more