Defense Verdict for Employer in Eastern District of Virginia Employment Discrimination Case
Shulman Rogers is pleased to announce that attorneys Joy Einstein and Alex Castelli secured a full defense verdict for employer Stateside Associates Inc., winning judgment on the pleadings across all four remaining claims brought by a former employee.
The plaintiff alleged gender discrimination, retaliation, and hostile work environment under federal and state law. The court granted the company’s motion on each count, finding that the plaintiff failed to plausibly allege facts sufficient to support any of her claims.
On the discrimination claim, the court found the plaintiff could not establish that her male comparators were similarly situated in all material respects. On retaliation, the court rejected the argument that knowledge of protected activity could be imputed to the supervisor alleged to have taken adverse action. And on the hostile work environment claim, the court found the alleged conduct, while potentially deplorable, was not unambiguously gender-based and did not rise to the level required to state a viable claim.
We are grateful for the trust Stateside Associates Inc. placed in our team and remain committed to providing employers with vigorous, strategic representation in complex workplace disputes.
Martin v. Stateside Associates Inc., No. 1:23-cv-01076 (E.D. Va. March 5, 2026)
Shulman Rogers’ Employment and Labor Law practice advises and defends employers of all types and sizes across Maryland, Virginia, and the District of Columbia. From day-to-day workplace counseling and policy development to litigation before state and federal courts and administrative agencies, our team takes a proactive, cost-effective approach to helping clients navigate an increasingly complex legal landscape and protect their businesses when disputes arise.
About Shulman Rogers
Shulman Rogers is one of the largest law firms in Metropolitan Washington, offering local, regional, and national clients a full range of business and personal legal services. Additional information on Shulman Rogers and its practice areas is available at ShulmanRogers.com.
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