Secretary's employment discrimination case is summarily dismissed

Constance Hensley, the executive secretary in the Romeo Community Schools for about a decade, quit when she allegedly suffered from "inappropriate and derogatory comments" by her supervisor who allegedly shifted work from Hensley to a younger secretary and repeatedly threatened to eliminate her position.  When Hensley targeted the younger woman for lay-off rather than herself, their working conditions deteriorated and Hensley claimed her situation became untenable.  She took a medical leave and applied for workers compensation.  She also complained to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. 

When Hensley was confronted, on return, with new accounting and computer-related tasks, she took vacation time that had not been pre-approved, but rejected an offer that she be placed on long term disability, explaining that she was "not disabled." Ultimately she opted for what she described as "forced retirement" and filed an age discrimination claim.  The trial judge summarily dismissed her claim and on appeal her case was described as "border[ing] on frivolous." The Court held that she failed to connect her employment situation to illegal or discriminatory behavior.