World's largest HR group asked judge to exclude evidence of its HR expertise in discrimination case

"The world's largest human resources trade group argued that the plaintiff shouldn't be allowed to portray it as an expert in HR during a trial that begins with jury selection Monday. A judge disagreed. The Society for Human Resource Management, known as SHRM, was sued in 2022 by former employee Rehab Mohamed, who alleges that she faced racial discrimination and retaliation while working there as an instructional designer."

"Doing so "would improperly hold SHRM to a higher standard than any other employer facing similar claims, confuse the issues, and mislead the jury," the organization argued in the motion. In October, US District Judge Gordon P. Gallagher denied SHRM's request, saying its "asserted expertise in human resources is integral to the circumstances of this case and cannot reasonably be excluded.""

SHRM was sued in 2022 by former instructional designer Rehab Mohamed, who alleges racial discrimination and retaliation during her employment. SHRM filed a motion seeking to bar evidence that the organization is a specialist in human-resources best practices, arguing that such evidence would impose a higher standard and confuse the jury. A federal judge denied the motion, ruling that SHRM's asserted HR expertise is integral and cannot be excluded. The judge also allowed the Colorado jury to consider punitive damages, increasing the potential financial exposure if the jury rules for the plaintiff. Jury selection begins Monday.

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