⚖ Oral Arguments, with Context

The Second Circuit hears Paul West versus the City of Hartford. West was a Hartford police lieutenant on medical leave when he applied for promotion to captain. After receiving his exam scores, he asked human resources for information about the assessment panel, including its racial makeup. He also asked who was responsible for complying with a Connecticut law on promoting minority police officers. West was not promoted, and his paid-leave status was later temporarily withdrawn. He sued the city, alleging discrimination and retaliation. The district court entered judgment for the city without a trial. It held that his information requests did not qualify for anti-retaliation protection, and found insufficient evidence of retaliation. The focus here is Title Seven, the federal employment-discrimination law, and its protection against retaliation. West will argue that seeking information about suspected bias can itself be protected. The city will argue that the email did not clearly complain of discrimination and that the pay decision concerned a separate workers’ compensation dispute. The appeal therefore asks both whether the inquiry was protected and whether the evidence could support finding that retaliation caused the loss of paid leave.

West v. City of Hartford (No. 26-12) — U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, argued November 13, 2026.