In a notable recent class action ruling, an Illinois federal trial court has declined to certify an attempt by a group of female employees to bring a Title VII class action alleging that their employer maintained a “pervasively” hostile environment that affected all female employees at two Chicago-area manufacturing facilities.
Ruling in Van v. Ford Motor Co., No. 14-cv-8708 (N.D. Ill. Aug. 22, 2019), the court found the plaintiffs failed to satisfy the requirement to show that their case presents common issues capable of one-stroke resolution on behalf of the class as a whole.
The Van decision serves to illustrate that certain highly individualized claims – such as allegations of workplace harassment – simply are rarely, if ever, well-suited for class treatment.
Members of the Center for Workplace Compliance (CWC) can read more here.