Burdening the Plaintiff: Proving Employment Discrimination after \u3ci\u3eKastanis v. Educational Employees Credit Union\u3c/i\u3e

In Kastanis v. Educational Employees Credit Union, the Washington Supreme Court held that a plaintiff who presents direct, undisputed evidence of discrimination bears the burden of persuading the jury that the employer\u27s actions were not justified by business necessity. By substantially increasing the plaintiff\u27s burden, this decision will make it more difficult for plaintiffs to successfully litigate employment discrimination claims in Washington State. Not only is the court\u27s reasoning contrary to existing state and federal law, but there are also strong policy reasons arguing against the continued application of the court\u27s rule