A no-Spanish rule is very problematic for any employer, but especially so in San Antonio. Yet, that is the rule allegedly imposed by the La Cantera resort. So, it is not surprising that La Cantera is settling the EEOC lawsuit against it for $2.6 million. La Cantera claims it did not have a no-Spanish policy.
I served in the Iraq war 2005 to 2006. My job was to approve (or not) reconstruction projects. My post was at division level. We had some $90 million dollars each fiscal year to spend on projects inside Iraq. There were various civil affairs constraints on how to spend that money. It was my job
The Western District Court recently awarded attorney’s fees and costs of court in the Johnson v. Southwest Research Institute, No. 15-CV-297, matter. I previously wrote about that trial here and here. The judge awarded $535,609 in attorney’s fees and costs of the lawsuit. Included in that attorney fee figure are attorney fees ranging from
Clients sometimes come to my office, convinced they have an unassailable lawsuit. They cannot lose. They are certain they have the best evidence. But, in litigation, nothing is ever certain. In the case of Knepper v. Ogletree Deakins, Nash. Smoak & Stewart, P.C., No. 19-CV-0060 (C.D. Calif.), much has gone wrong. Dawn Knepper, who
A major law firm, Pepper Hamilton, conducted an investigation into claims of rape and sexual assault by female students at Baylor University. In 2016, the law firm found fundamental flaws in how Baylor University handled these claims. Coaches were fired over the scandal that emerged. Now, some of those women have sued the university. In
SSGT David bellavia was just awarded the Medal of Honor. He took out a building that was threatening his platoon. His battle devolved into hand-to-hand combat at times. In his speech, he gave credit to his squad, his platoon and his company. He recognized his interpreter, Sammy, who was just made a U.S. citizen. Sammy,
Many employers in Texas are trying to save a few dollars by carrying their employees as independent contractors. As an independent contractor, the employer need not provide medical benefits or other types of benefits. But, as an independent contractor, the injured employee can sue the employer for tort injuries. In Stevenson v. Waste Management of
In 2002, in reaction to the Enron scandal, Congress passed the Sarbanes-Oxley Act. The Act protects whistleblowers who report violations of securities regulations regarding accurate reporting. See National Whistleblower Center post regarding the act here. There was a whistleblower at Enron who did try to report the violations of securities regulations. And, here in
One thing an employer must not do when an employee files an EEOC charge is to seek criminal charges against that employee. Yet, that is exactly what the San Antonio area Precinct 2 Constable has done. Constable Michelle Barrientes Vela has tried to persuade the District Attorney to prosecute Leonicio Moreno for tampering with a
A woman who sued Southwest Research Institute was awarded $410,000 by a federal court jury here in San Antonio. The jury found in her favor. I previously wrote about her case here. It was a remarkable case. She was fired within just a few days after she filed a complaint of discrimination with the