A federal court’s March 30, 2026 ruling in Farlow v. L3 Communications Integrated Systems LP offers a sharp lesson for employers and their counsel: a plaintiff who refuses to produce his own EEOC charge of discrimination during discovery may be signing the death warrant for his case. The Northern District of Texas granted summary judgment in favor of the employer—not because the plaintiff’s discrimination claim lacked initial plausibility, but because he repeatedly refused to back it up with the one document that mattered most.
Case Background
L3 Communications Integrated Systems LP (“L3Harris”) is a technology company that maintains a code of conduct prohibiting harassment on the basis of religion and other protected characteristics. In 2022, multiple employees alleged that Charles Farlow (“Farlow”) was making offensive remarks toward non-Christian coworkers, in violation of the company’s code of conduct.
A human resources representative met with Farlow to counsel him on his conduct. The very next day, however, another employee reported that Farlow had made additional offensive remarks about his non-Christian coworkers. Farlow was placed on suspension pending an investigation. Following that investigation, L3Harris terminated Farlow’s employment effective September 8, 2022.
On May 1, 2023, Farlow received a right-to-sue letter from the EEOC and subsequently filed suit, asserting claims for retaliation and discrimination under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and...
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