Isolated racial epithet supported hostile environment suit 
Published: April 10, 2013
Tags: hostile work environment, race discrimination, retaliation, §1981
A superior’s use of a racial epithet on one occasion constituted compelling evidence that a federal employee experienced a hostile work environment, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit has ruled in reversing a summary judgment.
Civil rights plaintiff can’t proceed under §1981
Published: September 12, 2012
Tags: civil rights, Eleventh Amendment, race discrimination, §1981, §1983
A civil rights plaintiff could not circumvent §1983’s two-year statute of limitations by suing for race discrimination under §1981, the 6th Circuit has ruled in affirming a dismissal.
‘Cat’s paw’ theory supports individual §1981 liability
Published: May 29, 2012
Tags: cat's paw, race discrimination, §1981
A company manager may be individually liable under §1981 for causing the employer to retaliate against another employee on the basis of his race, the 7th Circuit has ruled.
Plaintiff has more time to sue for retaliation under §1981
Published: August 9, 2011
Tags: employment discrimination, retaliation, statute of limitations, §1981
A retaliation lawsuit brought under §1981 is subject to a four-year statute of limitations, not the state personal injury time-bar, the 9th Circuit has held in reversing a dismissal.
Black home buyers can’t sue for lending discrimination
By:
Pat Murphy
Published: September 14, 2010
Tags: civil rights, direct evidence, McDonnell Douglas, mortgage lending, pretext, race discrimination, Wachovia, §1981
Three African-American couples couldn’t show that their home lender imposed certain conditions on their mortgages for discriminatory reasons, the 3rd Circuit has ruled in affirming a summary judgment.
Law firm can be sued for race discrimination
By:
Allison McAndrew
Published: June 16, 2010
Tags: racial discrimination, racial harassment, §1981
A law firm that allegedly hired a black attorney as a “marketing tool” and then excluded her from her area of expertise can be sued for racial discrimination under §1981, but not for harassment, a U.S. District Court in North Carolina has ruled.
Employer’s failure to investigate isn’t retaliation
By:
Pat Murphy
Published: May 17, 2010
Tags: racial discrimination, retaliation, §1981
An employer’s failure to investigate an employee’s complaints of racial discrimination did not constitute an “adverse employment action” necessary to support a retaliation claim, the 2nd Circuit has ruled in affirming a summary judgment.
Employees can sue for sabotage, punitive scheduling
By:
Pat Murphy
Published: February 9, 2010
Tags: race discrimination, retaliation, Title VII, §1981, §1983
Employees can sue for retaliation based on allegations that they were subjected to workplace sabotage and punitive scheduling after supporting a co-worker’s claim of race discrimination, the 2nd Circuit has ruled in reversing a summary judgment.
Hotel can be sued over wedding bias
By:
Pat Murphy
Published: May 22, 2009
Tags: civil rights, racial discrimination, §1981
A hotel may be liable for race discrimination based on an allegation that it failed to follow up on repeated inquiries from an African-American couple seeking a venue for a wedding party, the 6th Circuit has ruled in reversing a summary judgment.
Black shoppers can’t sue over discriminatory surveillance
By:
Nora Tooher
Published: May 14, 2009
Tags: race discrimination, §1981
Discriminatory surveillance by a retailer is insufficient to establish interference with a protected activity under §1981, the en banc 8th Circuit has ruled in reversing a panel decision.
