Ducksworth v. Tri-Modal Distrib. Servs., 47 Cal. App. 5^th 532 (2020)

Bonnie Ducksworth and Pamela Pollock are customer service representatives at Tri-Modal Distribution Services who alleged a failure to promote based upon racial discrimination by two staffing agencies used by Tri-Modal; Pollock also alleged sexual harassment. The trial court granted the staffing agencies’ motion for summary judgment based upon the undisputed material fact that the agencies “did not provide any input, have any authority or make any decision regarding the promotion of any employees leased to Tri-Modal.” The trial court also granted summary adjudication on the sexual harassment claim based on the statute of limitations, which commences running in a failure-to-promote case when the plaintiff is told she has been denied the promotion, not when the promoted employee assumes the position. The Court of Appeal affirmed.