She almost got fired for complaining - then her boss opened an investigation instead
A construction worker's sex discrimination and retaliation claims failed on appeal after a federal court found no evidence her employer acted on bias.
On July 24, 2026, the Eighth Circuit US Court of Appeals affirmed summary judgment for Thomas-Grace Construction, ending a former lead installer's lawsuit over sex discrimination and retaliation.
The worker, hired in November 2022, clashed with one supervisor after another across job sites in Nevada. She complained early on that her first supervisor held "old fashioned ideals when it comes to females and the work," according to the court's account of her emails. Days later she walked it back, writing that she felt "embarrassed and ashamed" at her reaction and "was wrong."
The friction followed her. After a new supervisor took over at a second site, she emailed the company that he "want[ed] everything his way" and told him directly she would not be "criticized or demeaned." The company's operations director wrote in a February 23 email that "[w]e need to terminate" the worker and called her complaint "BS."
Then the director changed course. Rather than terminate, she opened a formal investigation, asking the worker for witnesses, notes and documentation, with interviews the following week. The worker's own supporting witness told investigators he "did not notice any sort of inappropriate behavior" from the supervisor she had accused. The...
A Middle Tennessee library is pushing back against what it calls false social media claims regarding its collection. The Putnam County Library stated it has not received any formal book challenges...