Title VII Violation – Retaliation Claim

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7^th Circuit Court of Appeals

Case Name: Laura L. Rozumalski v. W.F. Baird & Associates, LTD.,

Case No.: 18-3586

Officials: WOOD, Chief Judge, and BAUER and ST. EVE, Circuit Judges.

Focus: Title VII Violation – Retaliation Claim

Laura Rozumalski was sexually harassed by her direct supervisor, Mark Riedel. That much is undisputed. Also undisputed is that when Rozumalski reported the harassment to her employer, W.F. Baird & Associates, Ltd. (“Baird”), the company responded by swiftly investigating the incident and firing Riedel. But that is not the end of the story. This case is about the aftermath of those events and how they culminated in Rozumalski’s loss of her own job.

Rozumalski claims that Baird dismissed her in retaliation for her role in Riedel’s firing, in retaliation for complaining about her supervisor’s continued friendship with Riedel, or as a result of sex discrimination. The district court concluded that no trier of fact could find in her favor. We agree with that disposition: while it may be possible for workplace harassment to haunt a victim’s ability to succeed long after the incident, the facts that Rozumalski has presented do not support a finding of retaliation. She has similarly failed to create a jury issue on discrimination. We therefore affirm the district court’s grant of summary judgment to Baird.

Affirmed

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Derek A Hawkins is trademark corporate counsel for Harley-Davidson. Hawkins oversees the prosecution and maintenance of the Harley-Davidson’s international trademark portfolio in emerging markets.