When most people go to work, they do so with the expectation that they will be respected in the workplace. The last thing many plan on enduring is discrimination of any kind. Unfortunately, workplace discrimination is a far too common experience, and it can happen to anyone. Take Cindy Guthrie, for example. While on the clock as a state employee in Missouri, Guthrie experienced gender and age discrimination and filed a lawsuit against the state of Missouri as a result. Fortunately for her, the lawsuit recently reached a $1.1 million settlement.
When most people go to work, they do so with the expectation that they will be respected in the workplace. The last thing many plan on enduring is discrimination of any kind. Unfortunately, workplace discrimination is a far too common experience, and it can happen to anyone. Take Cindy Guthrie, for example. While on the clock as a state employee in Missouri, Guthrie experienced gender and age discrimination and filed a lawsuit against the state of Missouri as a result. Fortunately for her, the lawsuit recently reached a $1.1 million settlement.
The lawsuit itself was finalized earlier this week and was originally filed back in 2014 against “former Missouri Department of Labor and Industrial Relations director Larry Rebman, then-Gov. Jay Nixon and others.” At the time the lawsuit was filed on behalf of Guthrie and another former state employee, Gracia Baker.
But what happened? How were the women discriminated against? Well, according to the lawsuit, Guthrie claimed she was wrongfully terminated by Rebman when she refused to follow orders “that overstepped his authority.” Additionally, it also accused “Nixon of firing Backer when she reported Rebman’s actions.” On top of that, Guthrie also alleged in the lawsuit that “she was passed over for promotions, including when a new position was created in her division when a man with less experience was given the job.”
Then, in early 2013 Guthrie was fired after working as a state employee for 31 years. During that time, “she rose to chief of the Employer Contributions Section, the state division that assigns the tax rates paid by companies to fund Missouri’s unemployment insurance program.” She pushed back against her termination by filing a complaint, which resulted in her being reinstated later that year. She also received back pay. However, in 2015 she quit “when her job was restructured and her pay grade was reduced.”
As for Backer, when Guthrie was originally dismissed in 2013 she was fired as well. According to Backer, Nixon had her fired “for reporting Rebman’s orders in writing” Fortunately for Backer, the state of Missouri agreed to a $2 million settlement with her back in December.
In response to Guthrie’s recent settlement with the state, her attorney, Roger Brown, issued a statement calling the settlement “fair under the given circumstances.” However, he pointed out that the state’s “actions destroyed Guthrie’s career.”
What was the state’s response to the settlement agreement? After all, discrimination allegations are serious and unacceptable in 2017. For starters, a spokeswoman for Attorney General Josh Hawley, Loree Anne Paradise said: “the office must make strategic litigation decisions on cases, even those from previous administrations.” She added, “there is no place for discrimination in the workplace and this settlement makes that clear.” It seems the state agreed that what Guthrie endured was unacceptable.
Sources:
Former Missouri state worker gets $1.1 million to settle sex, age discrimination lawsuits
Join the conversation!