Merck, Chinese Ex-Scientist Headed for Bias, Trade Secrets Trial

Merck & Co. and related companies may have discriminated against a scientist because she’s Chinese and reported her boss’s bias against her Chinese mentee, a California federal judge ruled.

Nina Li’s evidence includes that her complaints weren’t properly investigated, her mentee was criticized into resigning, and she suddenly received negative performance evaluations from the supervisor who discriminated against her and the mentee, US District Court for the Northern District of California Judge Jeffrey S. White said. Merck justified the poor evaluations and Li’s termination by pointing to her performance issues, but the timing of and explanations for the negative reviews ...