Respect the record – Retaliation case turns on documentation

Description

Abstract: A woman who suffered from Crohn’s disease was provided accommodation regarding bathroom access and sick leave, but she was eventually terminated for performance and attendance issues. After her claim of unlawful discrimination failed in the district court, she asserted that these issues, cited at trial, were pretextual because they weren’t stated in the contract nonrenewal notice. But the appeals court held that there was no law requiring employers to list each and every reason for termination, and was satisfied with the documentation of her performance that her employer had provided. As this article says, the lesson of this case is fairly straightforward: The record matters. Collazo-Rosado v. University of Puerto Rico, No. 13-1641, Sept. 2, 2014 (1st Cir.)