In its ruling, the Sixth Circuit majority indicated that reasonable jurors could interpret the union vice president’s comments as signaling that Moore’s discrimination claims would survive the LCA. The court also noted that despite Moore’s associate and bachelor’s degrees, his education did not equip him with a relevant legal background to fully understand the implications of the LCA.
Coca-Cola Bottling Race Bias Case : Dissenting Opinion
In her dissent, Judge Alice M. Batchelder argued that Moore had voluntarily signed the LCA and that it was clear and unambiguous. She disagreed with the majority’s interpretation, stating that requiring Moore to take a drug test did not constitute an “adverse employment action” that would imply racial discrimination or retaliation.
Batchelder also emphasized that Moore had union representation during the meeting and did not request further clarification or legal assistance before signing the agreement.
Moving Forward
The revived Coca-Cola Bottling race bias case will now proceed to trial, where a jury will determine whether Moore’s waiver was voluntary and if the company treated him unfairly compared to his white colleagues.
