Date: 08-16-2023

Case Style:

Pekah Wallace v. Cheryl Sharp, et al.

Case Number: 3:19-cv-00391

Judge: Michael P. Shea

Court: United States District Court for the District of Connecticut (New Haven County)

Plaintiff's Attorney: Alexander Taubes

Defendant's Attorney: Ashley Meskill, Cynthia Erickson Mahon, Laura D. Thurston

Description: New Haven, Connecticut civil rights lawyer represented Plaintiff who sued Defendants on an employment discrimination theory.


Plaintiff Pekah Wallace (“plaintiff”) brings this action against defendants Cheryl Sharp (“Sharp”) and Tanya Hughes (“Hughes”) (hereinafter referred to collectively as the “defendants”) pursuant to 42 U.S.C. §1983, alleging that defendants denied plaintiff equal protection of the laws in violation of the Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution. See Doc. #1 at 35. Plaintiff also asserts a state law claim for defamation against both defendants. See Id. at 37.

Pending before the Court is defendants' Motion for Summary Judgment. [Doc. #59]. Plaintiff has filed a Memorandum of Law in Opposition to defendants' motion [Doc. #62], to which defendants have filed a reply [Doc. #63]. For the reasons stated below, defendants' Motion for Summary Judgment [Doc. #59] is GRANTED, in part, and DENIED, in part.

The Defendants move to dismiss.

"Employment discrimination is when someone is treated differently or less favorably than another person in the workplace because of their race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy, gender identity, and sexual orientation), national origin, age (40 or older), disability, or genetic information.

It can happen at any stage of the employment process, from hiring to firing, and can include:

Refusing to hire someone because of their race, religion, or national origin.
Failing to promote someone because of their sex.
Firing someone because of their disability.
Harassment in the workplace based on any of the protected categories.

Employment discrimination is illegal under federal law, as well as many state and local laws. If you believe you have been discriminated against in the workplace, you have several options:

You can file a complaint with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC). The EEOC is a federal agency that enforces anti-discrimination laws.
You can file a lawsuit in court.
You can try to resolve the matter with your employer directly.

If you decide to file a complaint with the EEOC, you must do so within 180 days of the discriminatory act. The EEOC will investigate your complaint and try to resolve it through mediation. If mediation is not successful, the EEOC may file a lawsuit on your behalf.

If you decide to file a lawsuit, you must do so within 3 years of the discriminatory act. You will need to prove that you were discriminated against and that the discrimination caused you harm.

Employment discrimination can have a significant impact on your life. It can damage your career, your finances, and your emotional well-being. If you believe you have been discriminated against, it is important to take action to protect your rights.

Here are some additional resources that you may find helpful:

Equal Employment Opportunity Commission: https://www.eeoc.gov/
National Women's Law Center: https://www.nwlc.org/
American Civil Liberties Union: https://www.aclu.org/
Disability Rights Education and Defense Fund: https://www.dredf.org/"

Google Bard

Outcome: Settled for an undisclosed sum and dismissed with prejudice.

Plaintiff's Experts:

Defendant's Experts:

Comments: