It is a sad thing when the color of one’s skin causes issues in the workplace, but it happens in Colorado and elsewhere. A woman in another state believed this was the reason for her employment contract not being renewed. As a result she filed a race discrimination complaint in her state in early 2015, and a formal lawsuit was filed the fall of that same year. A settlement was just reached in this case.
According to a recent report, a woman who worked as a psychologist for an elementary school from 2011 to 2014 failed to have her contract renewed for the 2015 school year despite having positive reviews and a recommendation from a school administrator that her contract be continued. That same administrator ended up not renewing the contract. This decision was made, supposedly, due an incident involving the woman and another member of the school staff.
The lawsuit that was filed over this lack of renewal and alleged race discrimination was set to go to trial in the spring of 2017, almost two years after the complaint was initially filed. The plaintiff was seeking a monetary judgment of at least $75,000. While the school district still denies that race had anything to do with this individual’s termination, as of March 1, a settlement agreement has been reached. The terms of the settlement have not been reported.
Accusations of race discrimination are taken seriously by the vast majority of employers in Colorado and elsewhere. Those who feel that they have been the victims of racial discrimination have the right to pursue legal actions in order to seek compensation for their losses. An experienced employment attorney will be able to review one’s case and file a claim, if appropriate, and/or work to negotiate a settlement out of court.
Source: woodburybulletin.com, “School District 833 reaches settlement in ex-employee’s racial discrimination lawsuit“, Scott Wente, March 7, 2017
