The Iowa Court of Appeals has agreed with a lower court ruling that a Mason City woman’s discrimination suit had no evidence to support it. Lori Johnson had sued FedEx, saying she was discriminated against, retaliated against, and then fired when she sought a different position to accommodate her issues with multiple sclerosis.
An Administrative Law Judge found no evidence to support Johnson’s claim, but the Mason City Human Rights Commission ruled Johnson was discriminated against. The issue went to the district court which threw out the case for lack of evidence.
The Court of Appeals also ruled there is no evidence supporting the Human Rights Commission’s findings. The ruling says “the commission’s decision is rife with factual error, legal error, and irrational analysis. In contrast, the district court’s decision was thorough, well-researched, and well-reasoned.” The ruling says the position Johnson sought was not significantly different than the one she held and paid less. It says FedEx had legitimate non-discriminatory reasons to fire Johnson.
Read more about the ruling here: Mason City FedEx ruling PDF