Christian & Small partners David B. Walston and Sharon D. Stuart recently represented a national trucking company in an employment dispute. The Plaintiff, an African American female, claimed that her manager (who was a white male) created a hostile work environment where he demeaned and demoted her – ultimately terminating her employment allegedly based on her race and gender and in retaliation for her complaint against his demeaning behavior.
After extensive discovery, the Court granted summary judgment on the hostile work environment and retaliation claims, leaving only the charges of termination based on race and gender. Following a failed mediation, the Court set the case for trial. After prevailing on the majority of its motions in limine and defeating the Plaintiff’s attempts to exclude evidence relating to her past conduct with former employers, and with extensive pre-trial motions and no settlement agreement reached, the Plaintiff voluntarily dismissed her own claims with prejudice.