Real Life Story of Wrongfully Denied Promotion

Renja, Property Appraiser - Cambridge, MN

Renja started out as clerk but always aspired to be a deputy assessor. After three years on the job, she was allowed to do field appraising. However, she was denied the vacant deputy assessor position. Under the new union contract, she was re-classified as a property appraiser. However, the salaries for deputy assessors were significantly higher than for property appraisers. Shortly after she was given the new title, two new male deputy assessors were hired. Despite the title and pay differences, their responsibilities were identical. Since the jobs were the same, the employer's claim that she was only qualified for the lower job classification was found to be pretextual. The court ultimately found for Renja and awarded her back pay for the difference between the deputy assessor and property appraiser's salaries.

Sigurdson v. Isanti County, 448 N.W.2d 62 (Minn. 1989)

Ruth, Math Teacher - Minneapolis, MN

Ruth was a long-time math teacher who longed to obtain an administrative position in the central office. After many years of hard work, when this new job failed to materialize, she sued the school district on a claim of sex discrimination. However, the court determined that Ruth made a fatal flaw in her reasoning. Apparently, there was no such position available. Instead, the court determined that Ruth wanted a special job created for her and felt that because she was a woman, the district was obligated to create one for her. As a result, the court found that the employer was not engaged in any discriminatory hiring practices.

Zimdars v. Special School District, 304 Minn. 288, 230 N.W.2d 465 (1975)