Former CoreCivic Employee Sues for Wrongful Discharge and Disability Discrimination: Case Highlights the Need for Strict Enforcement of Equality Laws

A former employee of CoreCivic of Tennessee LLC is suing the company for wrongful discharge and disability discrimination. The employee, who was a unit manager in Shelby, Mont., claims that his termination was in violation of both Montana law and federal disability discrimination laws.

According to the employee, he suffered from anxiety, depression, and other mental health conditions that made it difficult for him to perform his job duties. Despite this, CoreCivic continued to employ him until he was accused of retaliating against a Hispanic subordinate who had reported him for making fun of her accent. CoreCivic states that this was the reason for his firing.

However, there are events leading up to the termination that suggest CoreCivic used the incident with the Hispanic subordinate as a convenient excuse to dismiss the manager. The jury will have to consider both perspectives presented in this case. They may choose to believe CoreCivic’s explanation for the termination or conclude that the company seized upon the incident with the Hispanic subordinate as a way to conveniently get rid of the former unit manager.

The trial aims to provide clarity on the circumstances surrounding the employee’s termination and whether it was in violation of the law. If successful in their lawsuit, the former employee could be awarded damages for wrongful discharge and disability discrimination.