Lawsuit alleges three senior women lost jobs without severance while male peers received packages
A former senior director at Nike claims she was fired after complaining about discrimination, part of what she alleges was a pattern affecting multiple women leaders.
Patricia Coleman spent 25 years at Nike, starting as a store manager in 1998 and working her way up through nine promotions to become Senior Director of Stores by 2011. According to a lawsuit filed November 5 in federal court in Oregon, that long tenure ended abruptly in February 2024, just weeks after she reported discrimination and requested disability accommodations.
The trouble began in late 2021, Coleman alleges, when she started reporting to James Dektas, a senior director in his 40s. She was 58 at the time and says she was the only woman her age on the leadership team. From there, she claims, the treatment diverged sharply from what her younger male colleagues experienced.
Coleman says Dektas spent more time visiting other managers' territories, left her out of meetings held at her own stores, and failed to keep her informed about operational decisions. When she organized a work anniversary celebration in April 2023, something she had cleared with Dektas and largely paid for herself, he publicly accused her of violating company policies.
By December 2023, Coleman had had enough. She formally complained to an HR representative about age and gender discrimination, citing what she described as exclusionary behavior and preferential treatment of younger men. According to the filing, nothing happened. No investigation, no follow-up.
Later that month, frustrated by Dektas's continued avoidance, Coleman reached out to a colleague for help covering one of her stores during a manager's upcoming sabbatical. When Dektas found out, she says he became irate. On January 3, 2024, he and an HR business partner called her into a meeting where Dektas raised his voice and criticized her for decisions he had previously approved, while the HR representative stayed silent.
The next day, Coleman sent a detailed email to multiple HR personnel describing the treatment she had endured and stating she feared for her job. She also filed a report through Nike's internal Speak Up portal. She claims the only response was a single phone call from an HR representative who asked her to repeat her story but offered no solutions.
Then, on January 10, Coleman was diagnosed with degenerative disc disease after experiencing severe back pain. She informed Dektas and requested an accommodation: one day off and one day of remote work per week.
Just over a month later, on February 13, Dektas and the HR business partner terminated Coleman's employment over video call. The stated reason was vague: failure to demonstrate leadership capability. No specific examples were provided. Coleman was 61 years old and received no severance.
She was not alone. Coleman alleges two other senior women who reported to Dektas, Courtenay Buday and Jennifer Hess Patthoff, were also terminated between February and April 2024, all without severance. Male leaders let go during the same period, she claims, received severance packages as part of a company-wide reduction in force.
Coleman's lawsuit includes claims of gender, age, and disability discrimination, retaliation, and violations of the Equal Pay Act. She is seeking back pay, damages, and reinstatement.
Nike has not yet responded to the allegations in court.
