Ahern v. Shinseki

SELYA, Circuit Judge.

In the last half-century, Congress has enacted a safety net of antidiscrimination laws designed to protect workers’ rights. These laws serve salutary purposes, but they are not intended to function as a collective panacea for every work-related experience that is in some respect unjust, unfair, or unpleasant. This case, which involves the introduction of an abrasive supervisor into a workplace accustomed to a kinder, gentler way of doing business, illustrates the point.

The underlying dispute takes the form of an action brought under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of…