Sandra Leigh STIMPSON, Plaintiff-Appellee, v. CITY OF TUSCALOOSA, J. Russell Gibson, et al., Defendants-Appellants., 186 F.3d 1328

Summary

Plaintiff police officer had a work history of disciplinary problems. After a particularly disturbing incident, coupled with her work history, her supervisor recommended termination. Under Alabama law, a city cannot unilaterally fire a police officer, but must present its case to a civil service board. When plaintiff refused to resign, the city instituted proceedings before the board, which held a three-day hearing. Plaintiff was terminated because of her conduct. She filed with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, alleging discriminatory discharge based on sex and age, and subsequently went to trial on only her sex discrimination claim, which she won. The court vacated the order and injunction against defendants and remanded, holding plaintiff introduced no evidence that the termination decision was discriminatorily based on her sex sufficient for a reasonable jury to find a nexus between defendants' alleged animus and termination recommendation and the board's termination ...