Key facts
- Former Zillow employee Kenneth Brantley filed a discrimination lawsuit alleging unfair termination.
- Brantley claims his manager, Jonathan Ney, subjected him to age-based harassment.
- Brantley alleges Zillow management failed to stop the harassment and retaliated against him.
- Brantley was terminated on his first day back from medical leave after complaining about retaliation.
- The lawsuit seeks back pay, lost benefits, medical expenses, emotional distress damages, and punitive damages.
A former Zillow employee, Kenneth Brantley, has filed a discrimination lawsuit in U.S. District Court in Denver, alleging he was unfairly terminated and subjected to a pattern of discriminatory harassment. Brantley, 44, claims his manager, Jonathan Ney, engaged in age-based harassment, mocking his age and baldness, and that Zillow management failed to address these issues.
Brantley, who was hired in August 2018 and received multiple promotions, states his team was a top performer and he received a positive review shortly before facing disciplinary action. He alleges he was denied promotions in favor of less-qualified candidates outside his protected class. The lawsuit details incidents including coworkers wearing T-shirts mocking him and Ney pressuring him to create an unpleasant work environment for a female colleague returning from medical leave.
Concerns about Brantley's performance were raised on June 5, 2025, followed by a "Job-in-Jeopardy" warning the next day, which Brantley claims was pretextual. This warning preceded his first panic attack and a subsequent 90-day medical leave. Brantley also alleges Zillow mishandled his Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA) leave, with Ney contacting him about work and HR disclosing his medical information without consent.
On September 8, 2025, Brantley filed a formal complaint with HR alleging discrimination and retaliation. The following day, upon his return from leave, he met with HR and Ney to discuss performance. Despite presenting documentation to counter Zillow's claims, the meeting was abruptly ended, and Brantley received a termination notice citing performance reasons just hours later. Brantley is seeking back pay, lost benefits, medical expenses, and damages for emotional distress and punitive damages.