The United States District Court for the District of Columbia granted the defendant hospital's motion for summary judgment on a physician's gender discrimination, hostile work environment, and wrongful discharge claims. DISCRIMINATION
Ervin v. Howard Univ., No. 04-1632 (RMC) (D.D.C. June 24, 2008)
The United States District Court for the District of Columbia granted the defendant hospital's motion for summary judgment on a physician's gender discrimination, hostile work environment, and wrongful discharge claims.
The court found that the physician had failed to show any discriminatory pretext for her firing. Additionally, the court held that the few discrete and separate incidents about which the physician complained were insufficient to establish a pattern of "severe or pervasive" conduct necessary to establish a hostile work environment claim. Regarding the physician's wrongful discharge claim, the court concluded that the claim could not stand because the physician was at no point required to choose between risking criminal liability and losing her job. However, because an issue of material fact remained with regard to the physician's retaliation claim, the court did not grant summary judgment on this claim.