Phillips v. Legacy Cabinet, No. 22-10057 (11th Cir. 2023)
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In the United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit case involving Theresa Phillips and Legacy Cabinets, Ms. Phillips, a white woman, claimed she was fired due to racial discrimination by her supervisor, Derrick O’Neal, a Black man. Mr. O'Neal argued that he fired Ms. Phillips for insubordination. After being dismissed by the District Court for the Northern District of Alabama, Ms. Phillips appealed the decision.
The Court of Appeals reversed the lower court's decision, holding that a reasonable jury could find that Legacy Cabinets discriminated against Ms. Phillips when it punished her more severely than her Black coworkers for similar conduct. The evidence included Ms. Phillips's own testimony and the fact that she was punished more harshly than her similarly situated non-white coworkers. The appellate court did not make a definitive finding of discrimination, but rather decided that there was enough evidence to allow a reasonable jury to potentially make such a finding. Therefore, the Court of Appeals reversed the summary judgment ruling of the lower court and remanded the case for further proceedings.
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