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National Origin Discrimination Against a Scientist

National Origin Discrimination in an Academic Setting
Maria was a scientist and researcher at a research institution in Boston.  She had worked there for three years, starting as a Chief Scientist and later promoted to Principal Investigator.  In this role, she acquired numerous valuable grants, and was the lead on the funded research projects.  Throughout the entirety of her employment, Maria received uniformly positive performance reviews.

For the last three months of her employment, Maria was placed under a new supervisor, who was non-Hispanic.  She immediately began to experience hostility from this supervisor, who ridiculed Maria's suggestion that their differing backgrounds could allow them to collaborate effectively.  Maria reported her discomfort with this conversation to Human Resources, but no action was taken.

Shortly thereafter, she had another interaction with the supervisor, who stated that Maria was not worth the salary she was paid.  She was then instructed not to have contact with the lead investigator on a major project she was leading.  For the next several months, the supervisor continued to be antagonistic toward Maria, who was the only Hispanic person on the team, and at one point stating that Maria lacked the  “ability to deliver the information clearly,” obviously implying that Maria did not have the ability to give a successful presentation because English was not her first language. 

Finally, Maria was abruptly terminated.  She was told it was a restructuring, but all of the work she had been doing continued.  Others with less experience and fewer credentials, all non-Hispanic, were retained.  In addition to losing her job, Maria was told she could not publish as lead author several of the research projects she had spearheaded.

Discrimination Law Solution

Both the abruptness of the termination and the unwillingness to allow Maria to publish her own work were outside the norm in her area of work.  

We reviewed the situation and drafted a letter to her former employer outlining her claims for national origin discrimination.  We were able to negotiate not only an increased severance payment, but also permission to publish her own work under her own name.

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Postscript

Maria's case serves as a reminder that severance payments are not always the only goal in a wrongful termination case.  For Maria, protecting her professional reputation by publishing her work was at least as important.  If you are in a similar situation, remember that you should identify for your attorney all of the things that are important to you, so they can be included in a settlement agreement if possible.

How We Can Help

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We have years of experience helping people with discrimination and retaliation issues, and we would be happy to help. You can use the button below to schedule a call back from a member of our team, or give us a call at  781-784-2322.
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  • Home
  • Employment Law
    • Guide To Employment Law Content
    • Employment Contracts in Massachusetts
    • Discrimination in the Workplace
    • Employment Termination >
      • Massachusetts Paid Family Leave
      • Severance Pay
      • Unemployment in Massachusetts
    • Sexual Harassment at Work >
      • Sexual Harassment in a Small Business
      • Sexual Harassment and Non Disclosure Agreements
      • Sexual Harassment and Remote Work
    • Wage and Hour Laws
    • Independent Contractor Law
    • Non Compete Agreements >
      • Are non competes enforceable
      • Massachusetts Non Compete Act
      • Pre 2018 Massachusetts Non Competes
  • Estate Planning
    • Guide To Estate Planning Content
    • Legacy Protection
    • Why You Need an Estate Plan
    • Why You Don't Have an Estate Plan
    • Estate Planning Documents >
      • Children with Special Needs
    • Planning for Assisted Living
    • Probate Process
  • Business Law
    • Guide To Business Law Content
    • Small Business Law
    • Business Contract Basics
    • Civil Suit Defense
    • Legal Issues for Start Ups
    • Trademark Basics
    • How to Incorporate
    • Sale of Business
  • About
    • Reviews
    • Slnlaw Offices
    • slnlaw core values
    • Publications and Interviews
    • New Client Intake and Consultation
    • Contact
  • Attorneys
    • Emily Smith-Lee >
      • 2018 Lawyer of the Year
    • Jenna Ordway
    • Rebecca Rogers
    • Sharleen Tinnin
    • Elijah Bresley
  • Legal FAQs
    • Estate Planning FAQs
    • Probate FAQs
    • Small Business FAQs
    • Wage Act FAQs
    • Commission Pay FAQs
    • Overtime FAQs
    • Independent Contractor FAQs
    • Non Compete FAQs
    • Employment Discrimination FAQs
    • Employment Termination FAQs
    • Massachusettts Unemployment FAQs
    • Severance Package FAQs
    • Medical Leave FAQs
    • Sexual Harassment FAQs
    • Employer FAQs
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  • Blog