Harrassment Retaliation Lawsuit from Nashville Local in Sexual Harassment Case Will Get Its Day in Court
Discriminated workers and workplace discrimination lawyers in Tennessee and across the U.S. received a boost last week when the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act became law, allowing discriminated employees facing unequal wages to sue for disparate pay. (Read more in last week’s Tennessee Law Blog’s Pay Discrimination Law Passes Senate). But this wasn’t the only big event in Tennessee employment law last week.
On Monday, the U.S. Supreme Court (the same Court that in 2007 found against Ms. Ledbetter and previous lower courts’ decisions on the statute of limitations allowed by EEOC inquiries) found unanimously in favor of Nashville, TN-local Vicky Crawford in her sexual harassment retaliation lawsuit.
Crawford, former payroll manager for and 30-year employee of Metro Nashville, sued the school district for harassment she claims was based on her testimony during a sexual harassment investigation. While discrimination law allows retaliation protections to the sexually harassed person who files a discrimination lawsuit, federal workplace law was previous to last week unclear whether it offered retaliation protections to persons not directly sexually harassed, as Crawford’s case. The U.S. District Court in Nashville had previously dismissed the lawsuit as did the 6th Circuit Court of Appeals. (Read the original Tennessee Law Blog story on the Crawford discrimination retaliation lawsuit here)
The High Court’s decision allows Crawford to proceed with her sexual harassment lawsuit against the City of Nashville. According to the Tennessean, Attorney Frank Young, who is representing Metro government in this harassment case, has stated that the Court’s decision “clarified the law” but does not decide Crawford’s case, which will now be heard in federal court in Nashville.
If you have suffered TN workplace sexual harassment or have been fired or your career has suffered from retaliation for your speaking out against sexual discrimination or other discrimination at your workplace and would like a free consultation with a Tennessee workplace attorney, contact the Higgins Firm.
Our lawyers at Higgins Firm’s employment law branch specialize in federal employment law, including workplace discrimination and harassment, and state employment law in Georgia, Tennessee, and Kentucky. Contact me, Attorney Jim Higgins, or one of my employment law associates by calling our Nashville law offices at 800.705.2121 or by filling our employment law attorney contact form. No loyal worker should be treated unfairly by another’s bigotry or be forced to suffer retaliation for only doing the right thing.
Author Bio
Jim Higgins, founder of the Higgins Firm, is a seasoned personal injury attorney with deep roots in Nashville, Tennessee. A 4th generation Nashvillian, Jim carries on the legal legacy of his father, a judge for over 30 years. After graduating from the University of Memphis School of Law, Jim’s career began on the other side of the courtroom, defending insurance companies and learning their tactics for minimizing settlements. However, he soon realized his true calling was fighting for the rights of the injured, and for the past several years, he has exclusively represented plaintiffs in personal injury cases.
Since then, his dedication and skill have earned him membership in the prestigious Million Dollar Advocates Forum, an organization limited to attorneys who have secured million and multi-million dollar verdicts and settlements for their clients. Licensed to practice in Tennessee, Kentucky, and Georgia, Jim focuses on personal injury, product liability, medical malpractice, and workers’ compensation cases. His exceptional work has been recognized by his peers, earning him a spot on the Super Lawyers list from 2021 to 2024, a distinction awarded to only a select group of accomplished attorneys in each state.
