S-16-0785 Patricia A. Knapp (appellant) v. Kevin Ruser, in his official capacity, and the University of Nebraska Board of Regents
Lancaster County District Court, Judge Horacio J. Wheelock
Attorneys: Brandon B. Hanson (Appellant) – John C. Wiltse (University Counsel) and David R. Buntain (Cline Williams) for Appellees
Civil: Discriminatory wage and employment practices
Proceedings below: The district court sustained the defendants’ motion for summary judgment and overruled Knapp’s motion to alter or amend the judgment.
Issues: Whether the court erred in (1) analyzing Knapp’s claim that the defendants classified her position in a manner that deprived her of economic opportunities because of her sex under the legal framework that applies to a failure-to-hire claim; (2) determining that Knapp failed to show similarly situated males were treated differently regarding her wage discrimination claim, when the evidence showed that males were treated differently for moving into tenure track positions that paid more; (3) determining that Knapp’s claim under the Nebraska Fair Employment Practices Act (FEPA) failed for the same reason; (4) determining that Knapp failed to show her supervisor’s retaliatory or unreasonable conduct because a different standard of retaliation applies to communications between the partners of a de facto law firm; (5) granting the defendants summary judgment on her four claims for relief when there were there were genuine of material fact to resolve; and (6) overruling Knapp’s motion to alter or amend the judgment when she alleged that the court failed to address certain issues, including her improper classification claim; (7) Knapp also argues that the federal district court erred in granting the defendants’ motion summary judgment on her federal claims because there were issues of material fact on the comparator issue.