Many employment terminations result from employers simply believing one employee’s version of events over another’s. This, in turn, is often nothing more than a credibility determination with which courts are generally reluctant to interfere. This is not always the case, however, as exemplified by the recent decision in Eboda v. PNC Bank, No. 17-701, 2018 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 159470 (E.D. Pa. Sept. 18, 2018).
Failure to Promote Sets the Stage
Monica Eboda, an African-American female, was first hired by PNC in 2008 as a “business banker.” After two promotions, she was in charge of a large territory in the Pennsylvania-New Jersey region. Eboda was a strong performer, and at one point, her market even ranked first in the entire company. Nevertheless, Eboda was never tapped for any further promotions. She asked for a development plan and claimed to have been denied. She sought guidance from her manager on how to advance in the company and claimed to have been shut down. At the same time, mostly between 2011 and 2012, her white, male colleagues were given growth opportunities and were picked to fill open positions over Eboda.