Knotts v. Grafton City Hospital

Petitioner worked for a Hospital for seven years until she was fired at age sixty-five. The Hospital’s stated reason for Petitioner’s termination was that she had committed multiple violations of the Hospital’s patient confidentiality policy. Petitioner filed suit against the Hospital, asserting as her sole claim wrongful termination on the basis of her age in violation of the West Virginia Human Rights Act (WVHRA). The circuit court granted summary judgment in favor of the Hospital, concluding that Petitioner failed to establish a prima facie case of age discrimination. The Supreme Court reversed, holding that in an age discrimination employment case brought under the WVHRA, the Court hereby adopts the “substantially younger” rule articulated by the United States Supreme Court in O’Connor v. Consolidated Coin Caterers Corp. Remanded to the circuit court to assess Petitioner’s prima facie argument in light of this holding. View "Knotts v. Grafton City Hospital" on Justia Law