Tag: discrimination
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After losing limbs, WWI and II vets may not have received deserved Medals of Honor; lawmakers call for review
Colorado lawmakers are asking the Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth to re-examine acts of heroism among veterans who lost limbs during the world wars to see if they should receive Medals of Honor. The lawmakers want to ensure bias did not influence the decisions of the honors that amputees received for their valor. In some…
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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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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…
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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…