Woman wins gender discrimination suit against Chief Justice of Trial Court

The Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination has awarded over $200,000 in damages to a female employee of the Trial Court of Massachusetts after she was denied a promotion due to her gender.  According to the Boston Globe, the MCAD found that Robert Mulligan, the Chief Justice of Administration and Justice for the Trial Court, refused to follow the recommendation of a three-member panel to promote Mary Jane McSweeney to the position of Operations and Maintenance Supervisor for the Plymouth District Court, instead appointing a male candidate who was the panel's third choice.  The MCAD found that Mulligan's decision resulted from an unconscious bias about a woman's ability to perform in a managerial position traditionally held by men, the Globe Reported.  McSweeney had worked for the Trial Court for over two decades, serving 14 years as a regional facilities manager for seven courthouses in Greater Boston, according to the Globe.

As of the date of this post, the decision is not yet available on the MCAD's website.