Neiman Marcus lawsuit claims company fired Black employee following racial discrimination complaint

Neiman Marcus discrimination lawsuit overview: 

• Who: Porsche Murphy filed a lawsuit against The Neiman Marcus Group LLC and three of its employees. 
• Why: Murphy, a Black woman, claims she was subjected to racial discrimination by a white co-worker while employed at Neiman Marcus, which allegedly failed to address the issue before allegedly firing her without cause as retaliation for speaking up. 
• Where: The lawsuit was filed in Illinois federal court. 

Neiman Marcus ignored the complaints of an employee who claimed she was the target of racial abuse from one of her coworkers, and then fired her in retaliation for speaking up, a new lawsuit alleges. 

Plaintiff Porsche Murphy, a Black woman, claims Neiman Marcus failed to take action after she complained to the company’s human resources assistant manager about a co-worker who she claims was logging her out of its computer systems. 

Murphy argues she was also subjected to racial slurs by her co-worker — a white guest support worker who she claims called her a “big Black monkey.” 

“Defendants and their agents were under a duty to prevent a discriminatory working environment and conduct and implement its personnel decisions, and disciplinary policies in a nondiscriminatory manner without regard to race and without retaliation,” the Neiman Marcus lawsuit states. 

Neiman Marcus allegedly failed to address racial discrimination against Black employee

Murphy argues Neiman Marcus violated Title VII of the Civil Rights Act by allegedly failing to address her concerns before allegedly firing her without cause. 

“Title VII prohibits discrimination in hiring, pay, promotion, termination, and other terms and conditions of employment because of race, color, sex, national origin or religion,” the Neiman Marcus lawsuit states. 

Murphy claims Neiman Marcus has also made it hard for her to receive unemployment benefits by giving a false reason for her dismissal — that she was involved in a physical altercation while at work.

The plaintiff is demanding a jury trial and requesting an award of compensatory damages, lost wages, lost benefits and other monetary losses. 

In August, the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals reversed a previous legal standard that held discrimination lawsuits could only be brought on the basis of “ultimate employment decisions,” in relation to hiring, compensation or leave or terminations. 

Have you been discriminated against at your workplace? Let us know in the comments. 

The plaintiff is represented by Kendra D. Spearman of Spearman Law, LLC. 

The Neiman Marcus discrimination lawsuit is Murphy v. The Neiman Marcus Group LLC, et al., Case No. 1:23-cv-15803, in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois.

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