“Strange behavior” or racial discrimination?

Description

Abstract: A temporary, substitute janitor filed a complaint alleging that his former employer had violated Title VII by requiring him to work in a hostile work environment and then firing him because of his race. The employer, however, told of the plaintiff having acted strangely. The Seventh Circuit affirmed the lower court’s granting of summary judgment. This article explains that, while the court believed the plaintiff may have been treated rudely, he failed to provide sufficient evidence of race-based mistreatment, while the defendant had nondiscriminatory reasons for his termination. Nichols v. Michigan City Plant Planning Dept., No. 13-2893, June 19, 2014 (7th Cir.)