Patterson v. McLean Credit Union
United States Supreme Court
491 U.S. 164 (1989)
Relevant factsFree
Patterson (plaintiff), a Black employee, sued McLean Credit Union (defendant) under 42 U.S.C. § 1981 for denying her a promotion in favor of a less-qualified white employee, but the jury was instructed she had to prove she was actually more qualified than the selected candidate to succeed on her claim; the jury rejected her claim, the court of appeals affirmed, and Patterson challenged the jury instruction before the Supreme Court.
IssueFree
Whether an employee is limited to a specific type of evidence in attempting to prove that an employer's stated nondiscriminatory reason for its action is mere pretext.