Catch-All Statute of Limitations Governs Termination Suit

The statute of limitations for wrongful-termination claims under 42 US Code 1981 is four years per federal law, not three years under state law, the US Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit ruled in remanding part of a suit Monday.

Margaret Chambers, who is Black, alleged that her supervisor, Timothy Rodgers, retaliated against her participation in a misconduct investigation opened against him, resulting in racially discriminatory treatment and her firing. She filed suit against him and their employer, the North Carolina Department of Justice, under Section 1981 two days before the four-year anniversary of her termination.

The district court ...