Government
Fired Mackinac Bridge worker can sue over lost promotions, court rules
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By ERIC FREEDMAN
Capital News Service
LANSING – A former toll collector is entitled to a trial on claims that the Mackinac Bridge Authority wrongfully denied him a promotion because he’s African American, a federal appeals court has ruled. However, the 6th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals refused to reinstate a claim that the authority discriminated based on race when it later fired Terrance Fuller for wrongfully collecting unemployment benefits. The authority, whose members are appointed by the governor, sets policy and tolls for the bridge linking the Upper and Lower Peninsulas. The Department of Transportation (MDOT) maintains and staffs the bridge. The authority hired Fuller in 2004 as a temporary part-time employee.