Manager says Nike passed her over, then fired her for complaining

The dispute centers on a promotion. On or about June 6, 2023, the complaint says, she was passed over for an operations manager role “in favor of a less qualified and less experienced male.” According to the filing, she complained to her superiors, telling them “this guy is less experienced than me.” 

The complaint alleges the situation then escalated. It says that at a June 30, 2023 team meeting, a senior manager “openly berated her before a group of co-workers in a hostile and demeaning manner,” prompting her to ask “why are you so angry?” She had an anxiety attack, told a manager, and left work with permission, the filing says. The complaint states that “at no time did Ms. Springfield make a threatening comment.” 

Within days, according to the filing, a Nike HR manager was told she had allegedly made “a potentially threatening comment,” and a company investigator informed her she was under investigation for “making a threatening statement” about the senior manager. She was suspended, never re-interviewed, and later fired, the complaint says. It alleges the termination letter cited reasons different from those a manager had given her verbally. 

The complaint leans on comparisons. It alleges that two other employees engaged in more overt conduct – one who “curse[d] loudly” at a superior before clocking out, and another who “threw his cell phone in the direction of his manager” – and that, on information and belief, neither faced discipline. The manager contends she was treated more harshly because of her sex and in retaliation for her complaints. 

She brings claims under the Americans with Disabilities Act – for failure to accommodate, interference, and retaliation – and under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, for sex discrimination and retaliation. She filed charges with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission beginning in November 2023 and received a right-to-sue notice in May 2026, according to the filing.