Carla Rodgers v. U.S. Bank

This case turns on whether the bank had violated the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (and the Missouri Human Rights Act) by firing a minority employee for an infraction of bank policy when it failed to fire a white employee for breaking the same policy. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit agreed that the plaintiff was treated less favorably than the white employee, but nonetheless upheld the bank's action. The court found that the bank had reasonably disciplined the plaintiff, whose infraction was much more serious than that of the non-minority employee. Therefore, reasoned the court, there was not disparate treatment.