At the time, Harvard claimed Abramian was fired for starting a fight with another security guard and for filing a false report about the incident.

Harvard argued that a judgement on the reason for Abramian's firing did not automatically substantiate the charge of discrimination.

The SJC agreed that the jury instructions were incorrect, but still upheld the original retaliation ruling.

In the 8-page opinion written by Judge Francis X. Spina, the SJC gave detailed accounts of incidents in which Abramian was harassed by other guards, saying "Abramian was subjected to demeaning slurs about his national origin."

The opinion went on to say that "there was sufficient evidence for the jury to find that the reason given by Harvard for terminating Abramian was not true" and that the original judge's charge on retaliation was "an accurate statement of the law."

Abramian's lawyer said that the court's statements support his client's claims of discrimination.

"I thought the Supreme Judicial Court understood the case very well," Barter said. "When they were describing the facts of the case, it was clear to me that the court found sufficient facts to support the claim of discrimination."