Parties in a discrimination and retaliation lawsuit centered on how Carson Group handled a sexual assault report indicated to the court this week that they will need extra time to complete discovery and prepare for trial.
Last year, lawyers for Carson Group and for Mary Kate Gulick, the firm's former chief marketing officer, told the court that they would be ready for trial in February 2026. In a joint filing Tuesday, the opposing parties jointly asked to extend various court deadlines and said the case would be ready for trial in October 2026.
Gulick filed suit in April 2024 in the U.S. District Court for the District of Nebraska, alleging that the RIA retaliated against and eventually fired her in 2023 after she voiced concerns over its response to a report that a Carson employee had sexually assaulted a participant at a 2022 industry conference.
She contended that she "was deeply troubled by Carson Group's complete lack of concern about having an alleged sexual predator working there, where he was interacting and traveling with Carson Group's female employees," her lawsuit states.
Then-CEO Ron Carson decided against firing the employee, according to the suit.
Before being fired, Gulick also had complained that Carson had a "toxic" culture.
Carson Group has denied Gulick's main allegations while acknowledging certain facts. The firm denied that it unlawfully discriminated and retaliated against Gulick and wrongfully fired her in violation of federal and state laws, and disputed contentions that it subjected her to escalating harassment and that her sex was a motivating factor in her firing.
In November, the court scheduled for May 6 a phone status conference to discuss case progression and the parties' interest in settlement.
© Arc, All Rights Reserved. Request academic re-use from www.copyright.com. All other uses, submit a request to TMSalesOperations@arc-network.com. For more information visit Asset & Logo Licensing.