Seventh Circuit Revives 1st Amendment Claim Over Racial Equity Beliefs, Upholds Title VII Losses
Updated
Updated · Bloomberg Law · Jul 10
Seventh Circuit Revives 1st Amendment Claim Over Racial Equity Beliefs, Upholds Title VII Losses
1 articles · Updated · Bloomberg Law · Jul 10
Summary
A Seventh Circuit panel sent back a White integration director’s First Amendment retaliation claim, ruling she adequately alleged she was demoted for refusing to adopt certain racial equity beliefs.
The appeals court said the claim met federal pleading standards and should have been addressed by the district court rather than dismissed at that stage.
The same ruling still affirmed summary judgment for Cooperative Educational Service Agency 7 on her Title VII race-discrimination and retaliation claims.
The split outcome keeps the case alive on the constitutional speech issue while ending the employee’s statutory civil-rights claims unless further appealed.