OPB4%
Jury finds Nike discriminated against former employee due to her gender 20%
By Kyra Buckley0%
7/22/2026, 7:15:06 PM
BS Summary: This article contains 19 faulty reasoning types, including Negativity Bias, Indoctrination, and Biased Writer Voice, with Confirmation Bias as the most egregious example at 26.1% saturation with 133 hits. Analysis detected 730 faulty-reasoning hits from 509 analyzed words, generating a BS Score of 34.6% and a BS Rank of 20% (16,376 of 20,312 articles). This article is better (less manipulative) than 80.60% of the article peer group.
One of Oregon’s most globally recognized companies spent years paying a former employee less and promoting her at a snail’s pace due, in part, to her sex.
That’s the conclusion of a jury deliberating in a case brought by Heather Hender, an engineer who worked at Nike for five years.
A jury of one woman and seven men returned a slew of verdicts Wednesday finding that Nike violated federal and state laws when it failed to pay Hender at a level similar to her male colleagues.
The jury also found Nike promoted Hender more slowly, in part, because of her gender.
The jury awarded Hender $19,739.52 in damages, and ruled that Nike also must pay at least $7.5 million in punitive damages.
That is substantially more than the $2 million that Hender’s attorney suggested during closing statements.
The six-day trial was focused narrowly on pay and promotion discrimination claims from Hender, who worked as a process engineer at the Nike headquarters in Washington County.
But outside the courtroom, after the verdict, Hender told reporters she’s not alone.
“There are many people out there in many different companies whose stories haven’t been told,” Hender said, “that are still doing this day in and day out or experiencing the type of things that I experienced.”
She hopes the jury’s decision will inspire them to speak up, she said.
In a written statement, a Nike spokesperson said the company is committed to treating employees fairly and is disappointed by the verdict.
“We are grateful for the service of the jurors and court staff and we respect the legal process as we evaluate our next steps,” the spokesperson said.
“Our focus remains on supporting our employees and continuing to build a culture grounded in respect, accountability, and opportunity for all.”
Attorneys for Hender said in a written statement they’re grateful the jury held Nike accountable.
“This victory sends a message that workplace discrimination is unacceptable and has a price,” Laura Salerno Owens, attorney with Portland-based law firm Markowitz Herbold, said.
“The boy’s club culture has to go, and corporations will be held accountable for their discriminatory practices.”
The case focusing on Nike’s treatment of women started in 2018 when four employees sued the athletic wear company for sex discrimination.
However, before the suit went to trial, three of the four women settled all their claims.
In the early years of the case, attorneys for Hender had sought to make it a class action lawsuit covering hundreds of female employees or former workers at Nike.
In 2022, a judge denied that request.
That was before Nike submitted some documents and evidence — most of which was not allowed to be presented in Hender’s case — related to allegations against male employees at the company.
It’s highly likely that decisions made in this case will be challenged and sent to the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals.
During that process, attorneys will be able to renew the effort to make it a class action case.
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