Million dollar verdicts in employment cases are rare. But, they do occur. In one lawsuit against Glow Networks, Inc., nine African-American employees sued the company for racial discrimination. The jury not only agreed, they awarded $70 million to the nine workers. Glow Networks, Inc. is a telecommunications firm.
Among the evidence was the experience of
In Johnson v PRIDE Industries, Inc., 7 F.4th 392 (5th Cir. 2021), a co-worker referred to Michael Johnson, a black worker as “mijo” (son) and “manos” (hands) several times. The same co-worker, Juan Palomares, also referred to Mr. Johnson as “es mayate” (this n—–) on some occasions. Mr. Palomares also used the term “pinches
The Fifth Circuit reversed a grant of summary judgment in Lindsley v. TRT Holdings, Inc., No. 20-10263 (5th Cir. 1/7/2021). In an opinion written by Judge Ho, the court found that the plaintiff showed that she was paid much less than similarly situated male employees of Onmi hotels. The lower court had found that
We all know that age discrimination is an issue when an older worker is replaced by a younger worker. But, can we still show age discrimination when an older worker is replaced by someone who is also older? The Firth Circuit says yes, sometimes. In the case of Alaniz v. U.S. Renal Care, Inc.,
Judge Fred Biery is a wonderful asset to the San Antonio legal community. Recently, he demonstrated again why he is the right judge at the right time. One of the costliest and most time-consuming lawsuits in recent memory is the House Canary v. Quicken Loans, Inc., No. SA-18-CV-0519 (W.D. Tex. 8/14/2018) lawsuit. A few
Many plaintiffs complain they are treated differently than other co-workers in some way. It might be about pay, promotion opportunities, etc. In one case, two plaintiffs said they were treated differently than other peers and that they were subjected to derogatory comments about Italians. In Cicalese v. University of Texas Medical Branch, No. 17-CV-0067,
As often happens with serious injuries, the recovery period is hard to predict. In Severson v. Heartland Woodcraft, Inc., 872 F.3d 476 (7th Cir. 2017), Raymond Severson took his full 12 weeks of leave under the Family Medical Leave Act. He was addressing his serious back pain. On the last day of his leave,
The Americans with Disabilities Act was passed in 1992 during the administration of the first George H.W. Bush. It was later amended in 2009. Yet, many persons with disabilities still face obstacles to employment. In EEOC v. S&B Industries, Inc., No. 15-CV-641, 2017 LEXIS 9259 (N.D. Tex. 2017), two women with hearing impairment applied
In federal court, sanctions are a real possibility. The parties need to behave themselves and act in a professional manner. That even applies to a settlement conference. In Chen v. Marvel Food Services, Inc., No. CV-15-6206 (E.D. N.Y. 11/21/2016) (FLSA), the court scheduled a settlement conference. The parties were required to come to court
Howard Cohan visits many public establishments. Mr. Cohan is restricted to a wheelchair. He is disabled. But, he visits these public establishments in Florida to see if they are accessible to persons with disabilities. Many restaurants, stores and motels get nervous when they see him rolling toward their front door. See Cohan v. Southeastern