discrimination
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10th Circuit upholds finding of no racial discrimination against family at Denver Chili’s
The Denver-based federal appeals court agreed on Wednesday that a Black plaintiff failed to show that a Chili’s manager’s request for her family to provide valid payment at the outset of their meal amounted to racial discrimination. Markesha Futrell-Smith filed claims under state and federal civil rights law, alleging a Denver Chili’s restaurant treated her…
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Appeals court rejects CDOT employee’s discrimination, retaliation claims
Colorado’s second-highest court agreed last week that a Colorado Department of Transportation employee had not shown that his employer discriminated and retaliated against him due to his religion and national origin. Ayman Salloum, who described himself as a 70-year-old Muslim immigrant from Jordan, was an environmental protection specialist at CDOT in December 2024. That month,…
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10th Circuit finds no fair housing violation by Littleton landlord for worker’s alleged rape of tenant
The Denver-based federal appeals court concluded on Monday that Littleton’s housing authority could not be held liable for a maintenance worker’s alleged rape of a tenant, as the worker’s employment did not provide any special access to the victim. A three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 10th Circuit acknowledged that neither…
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10th Circuit again dismisses ex-prison employee’s challenge to workplace DEI training
The Denver-based federal appeals court dismissed a second lawsuit on Monday brought by a former Colorado Department of Corrections employee who was offended by an equity training module and had alleged it created a hostile work environment. In 2023, U.S. District Court Judge Nina Y. Wang dismissed Joshua F. Young’s first lawsuit on the grounds that he…
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10th Circuit orders lawyer to pay $1,000 for faulty AI citations
The Denver-based federal appeals court ordered a lawyer on Monday to pay $1,000 to the opposing side for submitting a legal filing with fake case citations generated by artificial intelligence. A three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 10th Circuit acknowledged Kusmin Linda Amarsingh had expressed remorse over using unverified ChatGPT citations.…
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Federal judge sides with Douglas County School District in ex-admin’s discrimination lawsuit
A federal judge concluded last week that a former high school administrator had not proven his claims of religious discrimination against the Douglas County School District. Corey McNellis had worked at Ponderosa High School since 2002 and served as the athletic director and assistant principal at the time of his termination in October 2020. According to…
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Divided 10th Circuit rules bank customer must arbitrate discrimination-related claims
The Denver-based federal appeals court ruled on Monday that a mandatory arbitration clause in the fine print of a customer’s bank account agreement prohibited her from pursuing claims of racial discrimination in court. Jeanetta Vaughn filed suit against JPMorgan Chase after the manager of its South Buckley Road branch in Aurora called the police on…
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Federal judge lets ex-Castle Rock employee’s discrimination lawsuit proceed
A federal judge rejected the town of Castle Rock’s effort to dismiss an ex-employee’s age and gender discrimination lawsuit on Wednesday, while deeming the case a close call. Carl E. Filler, who was in his mid-60s when the town hired him as a traffic engineering technician, was employed for only six months between July 2022…
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Federal judge green-lights trial for ex-Rio Grande County sheriff employee’s hostile work environment claims
A federal judge on Monday found a former Rio Grande County sheriff’s dispatcher had not shown she was subjected to disability discrimination or was retaliated against, but that a jury would need to decide whether she experienced a hostile work environment based on her sex and ancestry. Then-Sheriff Don McDonald fired Lauren N. Trujillo in…
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Federal judge finds no civil rights violation for Black family alleging discrimination at Chili’s
A federal judge concluded last week that a Black family’s negative experience at a Denver Chili’s restaurant was not the product of intentional racial discrimination, but rather the staff’s belief that the customers previously walked out without paying for their meal. Markesha Futrell-Smith filed claims under state and federal civil rights law, alleging a Chili’s…