NEW ORLEANS, LA — February 9, 2026 — A federal jury was unable to reach a unanimous verdict in Kandan v. EEOC, a Title VII gender discrimination case tried before Magistrate Judge Dossier in the Eastern District of Louisiana. After more than ten hours of deliberation over two days, the Court declared a mistrial.
Uma Kandan, a 26-year veteran of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission with three master’s degrees, alleged that she was passed over for the Field Director position in favor of a male candidate with less than two years of experience. Evidence at trial included a written admission by District Director Rayford Irvin that he “groomed and promoted” the selected candidate, as well as testimony regarding an undisclosed 30-year friendship between a selection panel member and the candidate ultimately chosen.
The hung jury means that multiple jurors in the Eastern District of Louisiana agreed that the EEOC—the federal agency responsible for enforcing the nation’s civil rights laws—discriminated against one of its own employees.
Ms. Kandan was represented by Tulio D. Chirinos and Nicole Cvercko of Chirinos Law Firm PLLC, Carlos Cano of Cano Law LLC, and Andrew Lacy, Jr. of The Lacy Employment Law Firm LLC.
The parties await further proceedings. Ms. Kandan looks forward to continuing her fight for justice in the second trial.
