Cruz Santillan v. Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.
Cruz Santillan, an overnight stocker at Wal-Mart, was injured on the job and filed a worker's compensation claim. She was subsequently terminated for failing to timely re-verify her employment authorization documents (EADs) as required by the Federal Immigration Reform and Control Act (IRCA) and Wal-Mart's company policy. Santillan sued Wal-Mart for wrongful discharge, alleging that her termination was discriminatory due to her worker's compensation claim. The trial court granted summary judgment in favor of Wal-Mart, finding that the company provided a legitimate, non-discriminatory reason for her termination. The Court of Appeals affirmed the summary judgment, concluding that Santillan failed to raise a genuine issue of material fact that Wal-Mart's stated reason was a pretext for retaliation.