7th Circuit: Muslim Lawyer's Discrimination Claim Should Go To Trial

In Hasan v. Foley & Lardner LLP, (7th Cir., Dec. 15, 2008), the U.S. 7th Circuit Court of Appeals reversed an Illinois federal district court's grant of summary judgment for defendant in a religious/ national-origin employment discrimination case. Plaintiff, a Muslim of Indian descent, was employed as an associate in a Chicago law firm until he was fired in late 2002. He claims that the firm began to treat him differently after the 9-11 terrorist attacks. The court held that the "mosaic of evidence"presented, along with other unresolved questions of fact, are enough that plaintiff should have survived a summary judgment motion made against him. Wall Street Journal reported on the case yesterday.