retaliation
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Federal judge dismisses former law student’s retaliation claims against Denver County Court
A federal judge has dismissed a former law student’s claims against the Denver County Court, acknowledging by all accounts the student’s semester in the courthouse did not go well, but that his allegations of disability-related retaliation were not viable. Ethan West-Helmle graduated from the University of Denver’s law school several months after failing an externship…
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Federal judge allows UCCS employee to sue over alleged hostile work environment
An employee of the University of Colorado Colorado Springs will be able to pursue her civil rights claims against the institution after a federal judge on Tuesday found Whitney Porter credibly alleged that she experienced a gender-based hostile work environment and retaliation. U.S. Magistrate Judge Maritza Dominguez Braswell agreed Porter had described a pervasive amount…
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Federal judge dismisses retaliation claim against Jeffco district, allows claim against blogger
A federal judge has dismissed an attorney’s retaliation claim against her former employer, a special district based in Lakewood, while at the same time permitting the lawyer’s defamation claim against a blogger to proceed. Mary Joanne “Jo” Deziel Timmins sued the Green Mountain Water and Sanitation District after it fired her in the summer of 2021.…
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10th Circuit hears appeal of Denver custodian fired for online representation as police officer
The federal appeals court based in Denver appeared reluctant on Monday to accept the argument of a former Denver custodian who alleges her race and national origin were the reason she was fired from the city – rather than her supervisors’ stated reason: that she held herself out publicly as a police officer. Emina Gerovic,…
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Judge dismisses retaliation, hostile work environment claims of Black Agriculture Department employee
A federal judge has agreed with the U.S. Department of Agriculture that a Black employee failed to show how a series of workplace grievances amounted to illegal retaliation or a hostile work environment based on his race or disability. However, the lawsuit from Kenith DeLesline will continue on his last remaining claim: that the USDA failed…
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Judge tosses retaliation lawsuit against Jeffco sanitation district
A federal judge has thrown out a lawsuit against a Jefferson County special district by its former lawyer, who alleged the elected officials retaliated against her when she tried to warn the public about their malfeasance. Mary Joanne “Jo” Deziel Timmins was general and litigation counsel for the Green Mountain Water and Sanitation District between February…
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Judge refuses to dismiss lawsuit against Olympic committee over whistleblower firing
A federal judge earlier this month rejected a request from the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee to dismiss a lawsuit from a former high-ranking official that alleges the organization fired him in retaliation for his whistleblowing activity. At the same time, U.S. District Court Judge Charlotte N. Sweeney denied a related request from plaintiff William…
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Judge sides with Denver Public Schools on lawsuit alleging retaliation
A federal judge has sided with Denver Public Schools in a civil rights lawsuit, finding no evidence school leaders were aware of an employee’s alleged opposition to discrimination when they fired her for inappropriate behavior. Barbara Lindsay, a former administrator at Emily Griffith Technical College, alleged then-executive director Stephanie Donner terminated her employment in July…
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Judge allows inmate’s lawsuit to proceed against prison officials for failure to protect, retaliation
A federal judge has allowed an inmate to pursue his lawsuit against Colorado prison officials based on allegations they failed to protect him, instructed other prisoners to fight him and retaliated against him for filing grievances. Although the defendants attempted to characterize Terance DeJuan Wilson as a “frequent filer” who regularly pursues scattershot claims in…
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Judge allows retaliation lawsuit to proceed against CSU officials
Two former faculty members of Colorado State University Pueblo may proceed to hold school officials liable for allegedly retaliating against them when they spoke up about sex-based discrimination, a federal judge has ruled. Kimberly Cowden and Joanne Gula were both assistant professors in CSU Pueblo’s Mass Communication Department when they posted on social media and…