A doctor sued his employer for age discrimination under federal law. The judge dismissed the case before a jury could hear it, deciding the employer didn't qualify as an 'employer' under the law. The appeals court reversed this decision, ruling that whether someone is an 'employer' is a factual question that must go to a jury, not be decided by a judge at the dismissal stage. For subcontractors, this means employment classification disputes—like whether you're an employee or independent contractor—must be decided by a jury if the facts are disputed.
Don't let a judge dismiss your employment claim before trial based on employer status—that's a jury question, not a jurisdictional one
Employment classification (employee vs. independent contractor vs. employer) is a substantive claim element that requires fact-finding, not a technical legal threshold