discrimination
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10th Circuit reinstates Colorado woman’s discrimination lawsuit based on SCOTUS ruling
The Denver-based federal appeals court revived a Westminster woman’s lawsuit against her former employer on Monday, noting a recent U.S. Supreme Court decision lowered the hurdle for proving employment discrimination. Bethany Scheer sued under the Americans with Disabilities Act and the related Rehabilitation Act, alleging her employer perceived her as disabled, mandated that she attend…
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Colorado Supreme Court adopts scaled-back racial bias rule after 2.5 years of consideration
The Colorado Supreme Court on Thursday adopted a long-stalled rule aimed at curbing racial discrimination in jury selection, which differs in substantial ways from the proposal its criminal rules committee forwarded more than two years ago. Prominently, the court removed the original default prohibition on lawyers removing jurors of color for certain reasons that, while not explicitly…
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Federal judge allows Denver sheriff employee’s discrimination claim to proceed
A federal judge agreed on Monday that a Denver sheriff’s sergeant may proceed with his claim that he was subjected to sex-based discrimination when he was passed over for promotion in favor of female employees who allegedly were less qualified. U.S. District Court Judge Nina Y. Wang observed a forthcoming U.S. Supreme Court decision may alter…
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Federal judge sides with CU in former student’s retaliation lawsuit
A federal judge concluded last month that a former University of Colorado medical student failed to establish the school unlawfully retaliated against her, as the evidence instead showed faculty raised numerous concerns about her conduct over the years. Mindy Szeto was enrolled in CU’s School of Medicine between 2014 and 2020, through a program combining…
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Colorado Supreme Court dodges constitutional question, dismisses latest Masterpiece Cakeshop case on procedural grounds
The Colorado Supreme Court, by 4-3, declined on Tuesday to address the high-profile issue of a Christian baker’s refusal to make a cake for a customer celebrating a gender transition, instead concluding the case was not properly filed in the first place. Previously, a trial judge and the state’s Court of Appeals found Masterpiece Cakeshop, owned…
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Federal judge sides with Denver Health in ex-paramedic’s discrimination lawsuit
A federal judge concluded last month that evidence showed a former Denver Health paramedic was not fired because of his sexual orientation, as he alleged, but because his employer believed he exhibited poor judgment and resisted efforts to coach him professionally. Jordan Christensen filed suit under federal and state civil rights law asserting unwelcome treatment…
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10th Circuit agrees Colorado Springs postal worker failed to show discrimination, hostile work environment
The federal appeals court based in Denver agreed last month that a Black U.S. Postal Service employee in Colorado Springs failed to credibly allege the offensive conduct of a supervisor rose to the level of racial discrimination or a hostile work environment. Paul P. Nelson, who worked for the Postal Service for 23 years, filed…
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Federal judge throws out challenge to Colorado Springs’ local election schedule
A federal judge on Tuesday threw out a voting rights challenge to Colorado Springs’ municipal election schedule, brought by four civic groups seeking to force the city to move its April elections to November to reduce turnout disparities among voters of color. The parties submitted hundreds of pages of evidence disputing whether April elections in…
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Federal judge green-lights former inmate’s disability discrimination claim for trial
A federal judge last month agreed a jury would decide whether the Colorado Department of Corrections intentionally discriminated against an incarcerated man by imposing restrictions on him after he failed to report to work because of his disability. However, U.S. District Court Judge Nina Y. Wang observed plaintiff Charles Williams is not entitled to most…
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Federal judge grants narrow injunction against Colorado pre-K program but rejects Catholic parishes’ LGBTQ challenge
A federal judge on Tuesday concluded Colorado’s universal pre-kindergarten program impermissibly infringes on the rights of two Catholic parishes with its treatment of students’ religious affiliation, while at the same time rejecting large swaths of their challenge to a related LGBTQ non-discrimination requirement. Two Catholic institutions, St. Mary Catholic Parish in Littleton and St. Bernadette Catholic…