No Evidence Employer’s Legitimate Non-Discriminatory Justification For Termination Was Pretextual
Upon returning from an unauthorized vacation to Jamaica for dental surgery, Dudley Thompson was terminated by The Coca-Cola Company for failure to follow office procedure including not finding someone to cover his shifts while he was away. Thompson brought suit, alleging that he suffered discrimination based on his race and national origin in addition to retaliation for engaging in protected conduct. The United States District Court granted summary judgment for Coca-Cola. On appeal, the 1st Circuit affirmed, holding that: (1) Thompson made out a prima facie case of race discrimination; but (2) Coca Cola’s justification for termination was legitimate and non-discriminatory; (3) Thompson failed to show that Coca Cola's justifications were pretextual; (4) comments made about Thompson did not constitute harassment sufficient to create a hostile work environment; and (5) Thompson failed to demonstrate any causal link between protected conduct and adverse employment action.
Thompson v. Coca-Cola
The 1st Circuit Court of Appeals’ jurisdiction includes Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Puerto Rico and Rhode Island.