Employment

Firefighter claims racial discrimination. Defense verdict.

Plaintiff claimed that he experienced a racially hostile work environment and was retaliated against by defendants after filing a race discrimination complaint with the City.

  • Case Name: Ronald El-Malik Curtis v. City of Oakland, Jennifer Ray, Joseph Torres, John Farrell and Gerald A. Simon
  • Date of Verdict or Judgment: Tuesday, December 08, 2015
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Kaiser administrator says termination was retaliation. $3 million, later reduced. Alameda County.

Clinic administrator at Kaiser says she was terminated in retaliation for taking a medical leave.  Kaiser says termination was for poor performance.

  • Case Name: Metzner v. The Permanente Medical Group
  • Date of Verdict or Judgment: Monday, November 23, 2015
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Passenger van driver tells passenger of depression and is fired. $1.2 million. Los Angeles County.

Van driver allegedly tells passenger of his depression and suicidal thoughts around the holidays; is later fired.

  • Case Name: Francisco Tapia v. San Gabriel Transit, Inc.
  • Date of Verdict or Judgment: Monday, November 16, 2015
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Sports columnist for LA Times claims constructive termination; $7.1 million. Reduced on JNOV.

Long-time sports columnist for LA Times with national reputation claims he was discriminated against, constructively terminated. Judge later grants motion for JNOV, reduces verdict to zero.

  • Case Name: Simers v. Tribune Company
  • Date of Verdict or Judgment: Wednesday, November 04, 2015
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Restaurant worker claims racial and sexual harassment, wrongful termination. $1.6 million. Los Angeles County.

Plaintiff's symptoms of schizophrenia re-appear after stress of harassment on the job. $1,500,000 awarded in non-economic damages.

  • Case Name: Daniel Beasley v. East Coast Foods, Inc. d.b.a. Roscoe's House of Chicken n' Waffles
  • Date of Verdict or Judgment: Tuesday, September 08, 2015
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Assembly worker's carpal tunnel syndrome is no longer accommodated. $500,000. Los Angeles County.

Plaintiff's accommodation for carpal tunnel syndrome is ignored by new supervisor after the accommodation was in place for five years. Motion for $3.5 million in attorney fees is pending.

  • Case Name: Maggy Huerta v. Pacesetter, Inc., dba St. Jude Medical
  • Date of Verdict or Judgment: Thursday, August 20, 2015
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Cancer surgeon sues Kaiser medical group for firing and defaming him; awarded $1.75 million before confidential settlement. Orange County.

Cancer surgeon obtains confidential settlement from SCPMG after $1.75 million verdict reached by jury.

  • Case Name: Wascher v. Southern California Permanente Group; Kaiser Foundation Health Plan, Inc. and Kaiser Foundation Hospitals
  • Date of Verdict or Judgment: Thursday, June 18, 2015
  • Friday, 19 June 2015
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Administrator claims breach of implied employment contract. $362,000. Sacramento County.

Administrator at religious retreat center says employer's practices implied a contract; that he was not an employee at will.

  • Case Name: Joseph Sebastian v. Christ the King Retreat Center
  • Date of Verdict or Judgment: Monday, April 20, 2015
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Waitress terminated after pregnancy-related leave; she does not get along with new chef. Sutter County.

Waitress is terminated after pregnancy-related leave.  She came back to find that her friend, the chef, had been terminated and she allegedly did not get along with the new chef.

  • Case Name: Saavedra v. Bonanza Inn Hotel
  • Date of Verdict or Judgment: Thursday, September 25, 2014
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Bartender fired after pregnancy leave; defense verdict. Los Angeles County.

Bartender says she was wrongfully terminated after a pregnancy leave; that the restaurant failed to reasonably accomodate her needs.

  • Case Name: Bernadette Gonzalez v. Briad Restaurant Group, LLC
  • Date of Verdict or Judgment: Thursday, September 18, 2014
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Defense verdict when police officer sues city for retaliation. San Diego County.

Police officer claims retaliation when he is disciplined. City says discipline was reasonable and justified.

  • Case Name: Aaron Miller v. City of Oceanside
  • Date of Verdict or Judgment: Monday, September 15, 2014
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Company fails to pay sales commissions and salary; $2.192 million bench verdict. Butte County.

Sales exec says he brought in business but did not get paid; employer goes bankrupt and plaintiff proceeds on alter ego theory against primary stockholder.

  • Case Name: Silvestro v. NLP International Corporation, et al.
  • Date of Verdict or Judgment: Wednesday, July 23, 2014
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Supervisors stage fake armed robbery to test cashiers. $360,000 for emotional distress. Kern County.

Water district supervisors say they wanted to test how cashiers would react in life-threatening situation, so they stage an armed robbery.

  • Case Name: Kathy Lee v. West Kern Water District
  • Date of Verdict or Judgment: Thursday, July 17, 2014
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$723K to supermarket clerk for wrongful termination, discrimination. Punitives. Los Angeles County.

Supermarket clerk is reclassifed as a manager, terminated after an illness. $723,645 verdict includes $500,000 punitives. Demand was only $199,999.

  • Case Name: Eun Joo Ko v. Square Group, LLC dba The Square Supermarket
  • Date of Verdict or Judgment: Monday, June 16, 2014
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Kemper Independence claims manager defamed at work and then terminated. $4.7 million. Sacramento County.

Claims manager, a 28-year employee, protests treatment of his ex-wife, also a Kemper employee.  He is defamed by co-workers and fired.

  • Case Name: Robert M. Sallustio v. Kemper Independence Ins. Co., et al
  • Date of Verdict or Judgment: Friday, May 09, 2014
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Defense verdict in employment action. Shasta County.

  • Case Name: Jane Doe v. Gateway Unified School District
  • Date of Verdict or Judgment: Monday, April 21, 2014
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