Harris v. Warrick Cnty. Sheriff's Dep't, No. 10-3706 (7th Cir. 2012)
Annotate this CaseThe County Sheriff terminated plaintiff's probationary employment as a deputy based on violations of standard operating procedures, failure to follow orders, and insufficient commitment to the job. He sued under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, 42 U.S.C. 2000e and 42 U.S.C. 1981, claiming he was fired because he is black. The district court entered summary judgment for the Department. The Seventh Circuit affirmed. Plaintiff's circumstantial evidence of discrimination fell short of supporting an inference that he was terminated because of his race. No evidence suggests that the sheriff or other decision-makers participated in any of the alleged racially charged behavior: watching Blazing Saddles in the workplace and giving plaintiff racially tinged nicknames. Although plaintiff identified several white deputies who were retained despite performance problems during their probationary employment, their misconduct was not comparable to his, so they cannot be considered similarly situated.
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