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Suit alleges Zillow bias against 'white men' in promotions. Kenneth Brantley alleges Zillow discriminated against him by age, race and gender Today, September 02, 2026 A former Zillow employee has filed a discrimination lawsuit against the portal, accusing managers of age, race and gender discrimination and of retaliatory termination after he returned from his Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) leave. The employee, 43-year-old Kenneth Brantley, said he worked for Zillow from 2018 to 2025, starting as a sales executive and moving up the ranks to team lead, business consultant team lead, and field enablement manager from 2020 to 2022, and then to national sales manager of acquisitions, later retitled to manager, acquisitions, agent software and advertising, in 2023. Brantley said the promotions came with raises, stock awards and positive performance reviews recognizing his team's productivity. The issues began in 2020, when Brantley started interviewing for higher-level managerial roles. Court documents said Brantley applied and was interviewed nine times for those roles between 2020 and 2023; however, other candidates were chosen. Brantley said a colleague told him that Small Medium Business Acquisitions Director Jonathan Ney was "actively blocking" his attempts to move to another role. The former employee also pointed to the company's Engagement and Belonging program as another reason for his struggle, noting that in a 2024 leadership meeting, Senior Director of Enterprise Sales Travis Roberts said he was focused on diversifying his team, which only had "white males." "[Roberts'] statement was made in or around the time period of promotion decisions from which Mr. Brantley was excluded," the complaint read, reflecting his assertion that he was more qualified than the promoted applicants, all of whom were ethnic minorities. Brantley said his relationship with Ney further soured in 2025, with Ney allegedly pressuring him to give a subordinate, who'd just returned from FMLA leave, lower-quality accounts so they'd quit. Brantley said he refused and reported Ney's alleged actions to Zillow's HR team. He said Ney also facilitated age-based discrimination within the team, with Ney playing songs before team meetings and allegedly telling Brantley he was "too old to know this." He also claimed Ney made jokes about his baldness, asking Brantley if he wished "he could do that" when colleagues changed their hairstyles. He also said several of his colleagues wore T-shirts with a caricature of his face and the words "and Kenn..." to a Zoom meeting. The phrase, Brantley said, was a reference to the fact that Ney excluded him from announcements about the team's achievements. Brantley said Ney increasingly criticized his performance, sending an email on June 5, 2025, that detailed several concerns. The next day, Ney filed a formal Job-in-Jeopardy warning, which Brantley said he'd never received before. Brantley claimed an unnamed senior manager told him that Ney had been told to "lower headcount without conducting a formal reduction-in-force, explaining the coordinated nature of the simultaneous write-ups." On June 7, Brantley had a severe panic attack, leading him to apply for and be granted a 90-day FMLA leave. He alleged Ney contacted him during the leave about work matters, leading Brantley to file a formal HR complaint against Ney on Sept. 8, the day before he was set to return to the office. The complaint detailed the alleged retaliation and discrimination Brantley saw and suffered, and claimed that Ney had created a hostile work environment. On the day he returned, Brantley said he had a phone meeting with Ney and HR representative Josh Angles. Brantley said he asked to exclude Ney from the call; however, HR refused. Brantley said the call "ended abruptly" while providing evidence of the alleged discrimination, and that later that day, he was fired. A Zillow spokesperson said the company is aware of Brantley's complaint, but declined to "discuss personnel details." "We take any allegation regarding our work environment very seriously," the spokesperson said in an emailed statement. "The claims alleged in the complaint are inconsistent with Zillow's culture and values. One of our highest priorities at Zillow is and always has been creating an environment where people do great work and treat each other with dignity and respect." Brantley is requesting back and front pay, compensatory and punitive damages, the latter of which is capped at $300,000 under Title VII. He also wants Zillow to reimburse what he's spent on out-of-pocket medical expenses for therapy, medications, and related mental health treatment and any other damages the court deems appropriate. The lawsuit was filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Colorado. Read the full lawsuit below:

KIRK alert monthly RADAR report August 2026. Key Age Discrimination Civil Actions New Filings and Major Developments The cases and legal developments below were filed or experienced significant court activity during August 2026 and involve claims of age discrimination under federal and/or state law. Entries are presented in chronological order by date, from earliest to latest, regardless of whether they involve a new civil action or court development. NEW CIVIL ACTION Zillow Group, Inc. Filed: August 5, 2026. Court: U.S. District Court, District of Colorado. Former Zillow national sales manager Kenneth Brantley, age 43, filed suit alleging age discrimination along with race and sex discrimination, retaliation, and other employment-related claims. * Brantley alleges he was repeatedly passed over for promotions in favor of less-qualified candidates outside his protected classes. * He claims his supervisor subjected him to age-based mockery, including remarks that he was "too old" to know certain songs and comments about his baldness. * He alleges he complained internally about discrimination and retaliation. * Brantley also alleges Zillow terminated his employment shortly after he submitted a formal internal complaint and returned from protected medical leave. * His claims include alleged violations of the Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA), Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), and Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA). Zillow has disputed the allegations. The allegations have not been proven in court. No ruling has been issued. COURT DEVELOPMENT Daniels v. LMV Healthcare, Inc. d/b/a Westerly Hospital Decision Issued: August 5, 2026. Court: U.S. District Court, District of Connecticut. The court allowed Pamela Daniels' federal and state age discrimination claims involving a hiring decision to proceed while dismissing her retaliation claims. * Daniels, an experienced laboratory technician, applied for a 24-hour-per-week laboratory position. * The position was awarded to a younger recent graduate. * Evidence before the court included repeated references by the hiring manager to Daniels' retirement or possible retirement. * The court found genuine issues of material fact concerning whether age was a "but-for" cause of the challenged hiring decision under the ADEA. * The court emphasized that but-for causation does not require age to be the sole cause of an employment decision. The court denied summary judgment on Daniels' age discrimination claims under the ADEA and Rhode Island law. Summary judgment was granted on her retaliation claims. COURT DEVELOPMENT Bouchard v. Eastman Chemical Resins, Inc. Decision Issued: August 7, 2026. Court: U.S. District Court, Western District of Pennsylvania. The court denied Eastman Chemical Resins' motion for summary judgment in an age discrimination lawsuit brought by former employee Elmer Bouchard. * Bouchard was 58 when his employment was terminated. * Evidence included repeated questions from supervisors and management personnel concerning his retirement plans. * The company replaced him with an employee approximately 36 years old. * The court concluded that a jury could consider the combined evidence in determining whether the company's stated reason for termination was a pretext for age discrimination. The court denied the company's motion for summary judgment on Bouchard's ADEA claim and stated that the case would be set for trial. NEW CIVIL ACTION UHS of Centennial Peaks, LLC Filed: August 12, 2026. Court: U.S. District Court, District of Colorado. A 69-year-old former director of Centennial Peaks Hospital filed suit alleging age discrimination and retaliation. * The plaintiff alleges she was subjected to excessive workplace scrutiny. * She claims the treatment was connected to her age. * She also alleges retaliation after filing a workplace grievance. The allegations have not been proven in court. No ruling has been issued. NEW CIVIL ACTION General Motors LLC Filed: August 19, 2026. Court: Wayne County Circuit Court, Michigan. Former General Motors engineer Tuan Le, age 58, filed suit alleging age discrimination and retaliation involving the company's performance-review system. * Le worked for General Motors for approximately 27 years. * He challenges the company's forced-ranking performance-review system. * The system requires specified percentages of employees to receive lower performance classifications. * Le alleges the system disproportionately affects older salaried employees. * He also alleges he was retaliated against after objecting to the system. General Motors declined to comment on the pending litigation. The allegations have not been proven in court. No ruling has been issued. NEW CIVIL ACTION Boca Fertility, Inc. Filed: August 27, 2026. Court: Palm Beach County Circuit Court, Florida. Dr. Moshe Peress, age 76, filed suit alleging age discrimination after his employment with the fertility practice came to an end. * Peress alleges new patients were increasingly directed to younger physicians. * He claims clinic owners discussed replacing older physicians with younger doctors as part of a strategy to make the practice more attractive to potential buyers. * He alleges he was offered a new contract reducing his annual salary from $500,000 to $150,000 and substantially cutting his hours. * The lawsuit brings claims under the federal Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA) and the Florida Civil Rights Act. The allegations have not been proven in court. No ruling has been issued. NEW CIVIL ACTION Southern Company Services, Inc. Filed: August 27, 2026. Court: U.S. District Court, Northern District of Georgia. Former senior vendor manager Charles Kirkland Johnson filed suit alleging age discrimination following the termination of his employment. * Johnson alleges that a next-level supervisor stated the company had "too many people over 60." * He further alleges the supervisor made remarks suggesting employees over 60 were more likely to become ill. * Johnson claims he was terminated less than one month after turning 60. * His lawsuit also includes allegations involving protected medical leave. The allegations have not been proven in court. No ruling has been issued. COURT DEVELOPMENT EEOC v. Yale New Haven Hospital Hearing Held: August 27, 2026. Court: U.S. District Court, District of Connecticut. The court heard arguments in the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission's long-running challenge to Yale New Haven Hospital's age-based testing policy for certain medical practitioners. * The hospital's Late Career Practitioner Policy requires practitioners age 70 and older seeking appointment or reappointment to undergo neuropsychological and ophthalmological testing. * The EEOC alleges the policy violates the Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA) and Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). * Yale New Haven Hospital maintains that the policy is intended to protect patient safety. * The August hearing addressed arguments concerning the parties' pending summary-judgment motions. * The court did not issue an immediate decision following the hearing. No final ruling on the parties' claims has been issued. BRINGING THE RECEIPTS This month's featured cases and legal developments span the real estate technology, healthcare, chemical, automotive, and energy and utility sectors. Together, they involve allegations and court activity surrounding hiring decisions, promotion opportunities, forced-ranking performance systems, employment termination, retirement assumptions, workplace comments concerning older employees, retaliation, and age-based cognitive and vision testing: * Five new civil actions were filed during August, while three existing cases experienced significant court developments. * The allegations in the newly filed lawsuits have not been proven in court. * The August court rulings and hearing described above represent procedural or pretrial developments and should not be interpreted as final findings of liability unless otherwise stated. All cases listed above were filed or experienced significant legal developments during August 2026 and involve age discrimination claims under federal and/or state law, whether independently or together with other employment-related claims. Case names and court venues are provided above. Court filings and decisions are publicly available through their respective court dockets. ON THE RADAR Mobley v. Workday The closely watched litigation challenging Workday's AI-powered applicant-screening tools, including allegations of age discrimination under the Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA), remains active. Discovery continues, and no final determination of liability has been made. Published September 1, 2026 (C) 2026 LINDA KIRK ADVOCACY | LINDA KIRK, LLC