Ropes & Gray are currently involved in a discrimination lawsuit with their former associate, John Ray. Former employee of Ropes & Gray, Harvard graduate John H. Ray III, claimed that the firm violated Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 among other breaches of contracts and covenants.
John Ray complained against his employer to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and the EEOC “ultimately concluded that the firm did not discriminate against Ray but that it did retaliate against him after he raised complaints,” according to Above the law. John Ray attained an experienced and successful counsel and sought to expand his case. According to the National Law Journal, John Ray added claims of defamation and invasion of privacy to his racial discrimination and retaliation case against Ropes & Gray.
Ray claims he was treated as a “diversity hire” and a “token black associate” and that he was punished after complaining to the EEOC with almost a 30 percent reduction in billable hours.
Ropes & Gray stated that Ray’s work was subpar. He had a “sexual encounter” with a junior subordinate and his relationship with colleagues was “fractured.” They finalize by saying that he didn’t perform to the “high standards of quality and judgment expected of partners” so they terminated him.
The judge handling the case has narrowed John H. Ray’s bias claim, and as the EEOC has confirmed an reconfirmed that there was no discrimination against Ray at Ropes & Gray, it is quite possible that the law firm may be able to shake of the allegations brought by their former associate.