Wendy Musell, working with Legal Aid at Work, filed a sexual harassment case against the United States Postal Service on behalf of two female letter carries who were sexually harassed by a supervisor who had been harassing female employees for over a decade. According to the lawsuit, the supervisor’s sexual behavior was an open secret […]
Cases
Trial Victory on Behalf of Long-Term Employee of Raley’s
On July 14, 2017, LVBH won an award of both compensatory and emotional distress damages on behalf of Janet Check, a long term employee of Raley’s grocery store. Ms. Check had worked for Raley’s for 32 years, primarily as a bookkeeper. Despite her many years of loyal service, when Ms. Check returned to work after […]
Police Officer Receives Settlement in a Gender Discrimination Lawsuit
A female police officer who had worked for more than two decades was denied repeatedly denied promotions within the police department. Previously, the department had faced numerous complaints of gender discrimination, yet failed to take any action to remedy the issue. Partners Leslie Levy and Sharon Vinick represented the officer in a gender discrimination lawsuit […]
Silicon Valley CEO Sexual Harasser Case Resolved
Partner Sharon Vinick represented an entry level employee who was subjected to sexual harassment by the CEO of her company during a business trip. The harassment included highly suggestive comments and unwanted touching, which created a hostile work environment. The parties settled the case pre-litigation for a six-figure sum.
Sexual Harassment of Tenant by Residential Property Manager
Partners Sharon Vinick and Leslie Levy represented a tenant who was sexually harassed by the residential property manager, and then retaliated against after complaining of harassment. Sharon and Leslie brought an action against the property owners and the residential manager because they failed to take reasonable steps to prevent the sexual harassment and engaged in […]
Multi-Million Dollar Verdict for Whistleblower Firefighter
A Solano County jury brought in a $2,357,000 verdict for apprentice firefighter in his lawsuit against the City of Vallejo. The jury found that the Vallejo Fire Department retaliated against Mr. Milan for complaining to OSHA about regulation violations that occurred at a fire, and that the fire department failed to accommodate the post-traumatic stress disorder he developed at the fire. Partners Leslie Levy and Sharon Vinick prosecuted the case through nine weeks of the trial in Milan v. City of Vallejo.
$3 Million Jury Award against Kaiser Foundation Hospitals
Levy Vinick Burrell Hyams won a jury trial in Alameda County on behalf of a licensed RN, who had been employed by The Permanent Medical Group and Kaiser Foundation Hospitals for almost 20 years at the time of her termination. The nurse received excellent performance reviews, including one two months before she announced her need for leave. Her supervisors started writing her up almost immediately after she requested a medical leave, placed her on a performance improvement plan after her return from leave, and ultimately terminated her. The jury trial lasted six weeks and resulted in an jury verdict awarding over $3,000,000 in damages. For more information about this case, Metzner v. The Permanente Medical Group, et al., follow this link to the press release.
Confidential Resolution in Tenure Discrimination Case
A long-time professor brought a lawsuit against the university alleging denial of tenure because of gender and disability discrimination. To reach the resolution, partners Jean Hyams and Leslie Levy combed through thousands of pages of tenure files, deposed high-level university officials, and represented the plaintiff during mediation.
$1.2 Million Jury Verdict after BART Failed to Prevent Harassment and Retaliation
A BART employee who had complained about racial harassment by a co-worker and systemic race discrimination brought suit against his employer. Years after the case was originally filed, partners Darci Burrell and Jean Hyams were brought on to take the case to trial. With only a few months to prepare, Darci and Jean worked feverishly to muster the evidence and prepare the legal arguments that would help prove that BART should be held responsible for the retaliation and harassment suffered by its employee. The jury found in his favor on all counts, in a clear vindication of the mechanic’s rights.
Jury Verdict And Fees Award In Excess of $1 Million For Woman Subject to Retaliation
Partners Jean Hyams and Darci Burrell tried a case on behalf of a woman who suffered retaliation after she complained repeatedly about sexual and racial harassment on the graveyard shift at Caltrans’ Oakland Transportation Management Center. Members of the jury wept when they rendered a unanimous verdict finding Caltrans liable for maintaining a sexually and racially hostile work environment and subjecting the plaintiff to retaliation. By obtaining a jury verdict and attorneys’ fee award in excess of $1 million, the trial team vindicated the rights of the Caltrans employee and delivered a clear message to employers about the cost of maintaining a work environment in which sexually and racially inappropriate conduct is permitted to thrive.
$750,000 for Female Neurosurgery Resident Alleging Discrimination by UCSF
Partner Sharon Vinick represented an African American woman who alleged that she had been discriminated and retaliated against due to her race and gender, while she was a neurosurgery resident at UCSF. Following her termination for alleged poor performance, Sharon filed suit on her behalf, alleging claims for discrimination, retaliation, and breach of contract. After extensive litigation, the case settled on non-confidential terms.
$3.6 Million Settlement for City Employee Subjected to Retaliation and Wrongful Termination
Partners Darci Burrell and Leslie Levy represented a 27-year employee of the City of Emeryville after she was terminated from her job following a psychiatrist’s report that she was “unfit for duty.” The employee, who was chief union steward at the time of her termination, had challenged racial discrimination, harassment, and unfair treatment by City management throughout her career. Darci and Leslie charted new legal territory in this case by bringing a claim against the psychiatrist, Dr. Stephen Raffle, for “aiding and abetting” the City in retaliating against their client for her years of anti-discrimination advocacy on behalf of herself and others. On the eve of the jury trial, Emeryville agreed to pay an estimated $3.6 million in damages and attorney’s fees to settle the case. The settlement was a vindication for the employee and restored her good name.
