Discimination claim based on unpleasant work assignment is rejected

Veronica Knight sued Ford Motor, alleging that as a black woman, she was discriminated against by her employer's work assignments. Knight argued that she was placed in a disfavored location as a result of race or gender dicrimination, or in retaliation for other complaints she had made. The Court found, however, that her complaints about being assigned to work in the "buffer work area" did not rise to the level of an "adverse employment action" as that term has been defined (usually meaning termination, demotion, reduction in pay, loss of a title, significant responsibilities, or material benefits). The Court also noted that Knight was the only black woman assigned to the "drop line," which strongly implied that the white males working in that area were not being assigned by means of illegal discrimination.