June 6, 2022 – Juan Rodriguez, a beloved principal at Venetia Valley School, has settled a discrimination and retaliation case that he brought against San Rafael City Schools (“SRCS”). SRCS has agreed to pay $725,000 to settle Mr. Rodriguez’s claims. The lawsuit, filed in September 2020, alleged that the Superintendent and Board of San Rafael […]
Civil Rights
LVBH wins appellate victory for courageous #MeToo survivor
Sacramento, CA, October 1, 2021 – Today, the California Court of Appeal, Third Appellate District, ruled that a former member of the California Assembly cannot sue the woman who accused him of sexual assault. In holding that the fair report privilege applies in the case of Dababneh v. Lopez, the court’s ruling protects survivors who […]
Women’s Rights, Media and First Amendment Leaders File Amicus Briefs Supporting LVBH client in #MeToo Appeal
Pamela Lopez was one of 150 women in California politics who spoke out about the culture of sexism in the State Capitol back in October of 2017, when the #MeToo movement was gathering steam. But she didn’t know she would be caught in the crosshairs of the #MeToo backlash. Ms. Lopez has been sued by […]
LVBH and Equal Rights Advocates settle with Sacramento Unified School District
Sacramento City Unified School District settled a high-profile sexual assault lawsuit, agreeing to district-wide policy improvements and to pay $400,000 to former student Virginia,* after school official forced Virginia to leave school for the rest of the semester upon discovering she was raped by two schoolmates at an off-campus party in 2016. The lawsuit, filed […]
Vanguard Properties Faces Prosecution by National Labor Relations Board and Civil Lawsuit for Allegedly Firing Employee Over Leading “Mutiny” Against Unpaid Overtime and Sexual Harassment
March 12, 2020 –The National Labor Relations Board has issued a complaint against San Francisco-based Vanguard Properties, a luxury real estate company, for terminating its Social Media Specialist because she discussed working conditions at the company with co-workers. The NLRB complaint also alleges that Vanguard told employees that they were prohibited from talking about terms […]
Former On-Air Reporter Sues KCBS, Alleges Station Terminated Her for Reporting Sexual Harassment
February 25, 2020 – Long-time reporter Sheryl Raines, whose on-air traffic coverage for the station spanned nearly three decades, is suing KCBS Radio, which is owned by Entercom Communications Corp. Raines alleges the San Francisco radio station terminated her in retaliation for repeatedly reporting that a male radio engineer was sexually harassing women working in […]
$778,000 Plus Punitive Damages Awarded to Long Time Employee of Fortune 100 Company
Partners Leslie Levy and Sharon Vinick represented a long time employee of a Fortune 100 company in defamation suit litigated in Superior Court for the County of Alameda, where the employee was accused of theft. The jury returned a verdict of $778,000 in compensatory damages, and was prepared to award puntive damages. The case was resolved before arguments on punitive damages were presented to the jury.
$1.9 Million Settlement For Children Molested By Berkeley School Teacher
When several 4th graders in Berkeley were molested by a teacher, partner Leslie Levy won a settlement of $1.9 million and an agreement for system-wide training on issues of sexual abuse of children by school personnel.
Pioneering Lawsuit For Tenants Sexually Harassed By Landlord
While in private practice, partner Leslie Levy brought a groundbreaking case alleging sexual harassment in housing. She represented multiple tenants whose apartment manager was perpetrating severe sexual harassment against them. The settlement achieved was the largest settlement in the nation at the time for a housing sexual harassment case. The publicity generated by this case, including a television appearances on Oprah and prominent coverage in newspapers around the country led to increased training, education and attention to the problem of sexual harassment in housing.
Lawsuits Against BART Result in Improved Access for Disabled Patrons
Partner Leslie Levy brought two cases against BART on behalf of passengers with disabilities. These cases have made the system more accessible to the people with disabilities who rely on BART trains for transportation. Because of one lawsuit, BART installed edge detection rubber flooring at all of its stations to assist people who are blind […]
$835,000 Settlement to Protestor Injured By Police During Demonstration
Partners Leslie Levy and Jean Hyams secured one of the largest settlements ever achieved against the San Francisco Police Department, on behalf of a court reporter whose arm was broken by an aggressive police officer during a peaceful anti-war demonstration. The same officer was later fired by the San Francisco Police Commission for making false […]
LVBH Files Case on Behalf of Male Firefighter Terminated for Taking Leave to Care for Family
Partner Sharon Vinick, along with co-counsel Jennifer Liu and Rebecca Peterson-Fisher of The Liu Law Firm PC, have filed a case on behalf of Carlo Teruel, a firefighter who worked for the American Canyon Fire Protection District and the City of America Canyon. Mr. Teruel came to work in American Canyon after previously serving as […]
