Kwik Trip Defeats Driver’s Racial Harassment, Retaliation Appeal

A Black former Kwik Trip Inc. truck driver lacked evidence the company was liable for racial harassment or fired him for complaining about the abuse, the Seventh Circuit ruled Wednesday.

The ruling shows employers can avoid liability on hostile work environment claims under federal law when they act promptly and effectively after receiving notice of workplace harassment and that such “notice must be specific.”

Stanford Clacks’ hostile environment claim was partly undone by his failure to link some of the abuse he reported to his race, the US Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit said. Clacks complained about two ...