Dykema Gossett PLLC and a former a technical support specialist who said she was fired after repeatedly complaining about racial inequities at the law firm have settled her race discrimination lawsuit.
After more than three hours of discussion with US District Court for the Western District of Michigan Judge Ray Kent, the parties reached a settlement, according to court minutes. Neither party immediately responded to Bloomberg Law’s requests for comment, and the details of the settlement are unknown.
Heather Taylor-Livas worked at the firm’s Lansing, Mich., office from 2016 to 2020, according to the complaint. She said staff subjected her to racial discrimination, including a co-worker emailing her four days after George Floyd’s death, saying in effect that she was glad to be “Breathing!”
White colleagues also scrutinized and analyzed her work more than others’, she said, which caused humiliation, embarrassment, and anxiety.
She was allegedly fired in retaliation after complaining to human resources multiple times about racial inequities. Dykema Gossett said she was terminated due to performance issues.
Batey Law Firm PLLC represents Taylor-Livas. Kienbaum Hardy Viviano Pelton Forrest represents Dykema Gossett.
The case is Taylor-Livas v. Dykema Gossett PLLC, W.D. Mich., No. 22-cv-01021, 2/13/23.
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