DOROTHY BIVENS v. ZEP, INC. - Articles

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DOROTHY BIVENS v. ZEP, INC.

Posted by: Azya Thornton on Aug 8, 2025

Court: 6th Circuit Court (Published Opinions)

Attorneys 1: ON BRIEF: Carla D. Aikens, CARLA D. AIKENS, P.L.C., Detroit, Michigan, for Appellant.

Attorneys 2: ON BRIEF: Elizabeth A. Malloy, COZEN O’CONNOR, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, for Appellee.

Judge(s): THAPAR, NALBANDIAN, and READLER, Circuit Judges

Court Appealed: United States District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan at Detroit

CHAD A. READLER, Circuit Judge. After being fired from her job as a sales representative, Dorothy Bivens sued her employer, Zep, Inc., asserting claims under Title VII and Michigan law. According to Bivens, the company created a hostile work environment based on the actions of a company client. And when she complained about the client’s harassment, she adds, the company fired her in retaliation for those complaints. Alternatively, she claims, Zep fired her because she is black. The district court granted Zep summary judgment on all three claims. We affirm.

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