Employment | Discrimination | Law

An Accountant’s Fight for Fairness in Promotions

When an employee is denied a promotion due to racial discrimination

An accountant at a financial services firm had been working tirelessly under the senior accountant for years. She was known for her dedication, expertise, and the rapport she built with clients. Being Hispanic, she took pride in her work and hoped for career growth within the company. When a leadership role opened up, she saw it as her big break. She was highly qualified and had the experience to back it up.

But when the promotion was announced, her heart sank. The senior accountant, who was Asian, gave the role to another Asian employee who had less experience and fewer qualifications. It felt like a punch in the gut. She had worked so hard and had been overlooked for reasons that seemed unfair and unjust.

Feeling a mix of disappointment, anger, and determination, she decided to take action. She filed a lawsuit against the firm for race and national origin discrimination under Title VII, convinced that the decision was more about race than merit.

The accountant didn’t have a smoking gun — no emails or conversations recorded where the senior accountant admitted to discriminating against her. But she had circumstantial evidence. She believed that the way the promotion decision was made and the surrounding circumstances would show the jury that discrimination was…