Labor & Employment

Judge, fired aide charged in time entry case; another judge’s claimed sex with bailiff unproven

The plot has thickened in the case of a fired Florida court worker who claimed she had been subjected to a hostile work environment related to a judge’s alleged sexual encounter with a bailiff in chambers. Ex-employee Alisha Rupp subsequently admitted that she herself had had a relationship with the…

Sep 19, 2013 3:45 PM CDT

Ex-lawyer and publicist for Insane Clown Posse sues for sex harassment, cites sexism culture

A fired publicist who also acted as a lawyer for Insane Clown Posse’s recording company has filed a suit claiming she was sexually harassed, belittled and mocked at work. The suit by Andrea Pelligreni says she was presented with a sex toy as a present, yelled at on a regular…

Sep 18, 2013 12:30 PM CDT

Prior to conviction in Fort Hood massacre, Nidal Hasan gave nearly $300K away to charity

Corrected: Convicted last month of 13 counts of murder in the 2009 shooting massacre at Fort Hood, while serving as a major in the U.S. Army, defendant Nidal Hasan is now battling a civil suit along with the government. But his military take-home pay of some $7,000 a month, which…

Sep 17, 2013 4:14 PM CDT

At least 13 dead in Navy Yard shootings, US Senate and schools locked down

The U.S. Senate canceled its Monday session and closed its adjacent offices following reports of a shooting at the Navy Yard two miles away that has left at least 13 people dead and perhaps a dozen more wounded. Schools, offices and homes were also locked down. One of those killed,…

Sep 16, 2013 9:30 PM CDT

Strippers are club employees and should be paid minimum wage, federal judge rules

Exotic dancers at a New York City strip club are club employees and are entitled to be paid a minimum wage, a federal judge has held. U.S. District Judge Paul Engelmayer said in a ruling Tuesday that the dancers were “integral” to the club’s success, according to multiple reports. “Unlike…

Sep 11, 2013 9:33 PM CDT

Lawyer who abandoned $200,000 Ferrari to get to court on time gets new Ferrari

A Toronto lawyer who famously abandoned his $200,000 Ferrari in rising flood waters to get to a court hearing on time has been richly rewarded for his efforts. Employment lawyer Howard Levitt has gotten a “very generous” deal on a new Ferrari, courtesy of the Italian sports car company, the…

Sep 10, 2013 4:39 PM CDT

Police chief denies claimed remark that defense lawyer deserved to be shot, but says sorry anyway

The Durham, N.C., police chief says he doesn’t recall making a claimed remark about how a local lawyer, shot as an innocent bystander, deserved it because he sometimes represents indigent individuals as a public defender by court appointment. However, Chief Jose Lopez apologized anyway, saying at a Friday news conference…

Sep 9, 2013 4:50 PM CDT

SCOTUS to consider case of workers seeking compensation for time spent donning protective gear

The U.S. Supreme Court has agreed to consider a case filed by about 800 workers for U.S. Steel who say they should be compensated for the time it takes to put on elaborate safety gear. The justices will consider the case in November oral arguments, the Wall Street Journal (sub.…

Sep 6, 2013 10:45 AM CDT

Absent federal worker who said he was busy at CIA is charged with $900K salary theft

For years, it appears that no one checked when a high-level staffer at the Environmental Protection Agency explained his absences at work by saying that he was busy with projects including top-secret assignments for the CIA. Now John C. Beale, 64, is facing criminal charges, accused of bilking the EPA…

Sep 5, 2013 10:20 PM CDT

11th Cir. slams university and lawyers, upholds $1M for workers who say black supervisor used N-word

A federal appeals court has upheld a $1 million bias award on behalf of three black or biracial employees of Alabama State University who claim their former superior, who is also black, used the N-word. The Atlanta-based 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals began with a footnote of apology: “We…

Sep 5, 2013 10:44 AM CDT

Radio station not liable for worker’s $807K legal bill in water-drinking contest death case

A man who was sued by the survivors of a woman who died of water intoxication after participating in a California radio station’s “Hold Your Wee for a Wii” contest was eventually dismissed from the case against his employer. But not before he racked up a $807,421 legal bill, which…

Sep 4, 2013 10:30 PM CDT

Will banning tips prevent lawsuits? Some restaurants give it a try

Some restaurants are eliminating tips and replacing them with surcharges or more expensive prices. One reason for the change may be the desire to eliminate lawsuits, the New York Times reports. “Front-of-house workers are suing one respected restaurant after another,” the story says, “including Dovetail, last month, accusing them of…

Sep 4, 2013 6:40 PM CDT

African-American boss’s N-word rant leads to $250K compensatory award in bias case

Updated: A federal jury in Manhattan has awarded $280,000 to an African-American worker who claims her boss used the N-word in a four-minute rant about her professional behavior and work attire. The worker, Brandi Johnson, worked at an employment agency called STRIVE that helps people from troubled backgrounds find work.…

Sep 3, 2013 2:18 PM CDT

Attorney can’t bring his dog to work at courthouse, says AG’s opinion backing county’s ban

A county commission can’t legally bar service animals from the courthouse. But it can nix the county attorney’s practice of bringing his pet dog to his office there, the Texas attorney general has ruled in a written opinion. Titus County Attorney John Mark Cobern said he isn’t happy about the…

Aug 30, 2013 1:50 PM CDT

NFL to pay $765M to settle concussion cases brought by 4,500 former players

In a surprise settlement of a major case that had been expected to be in litigation for years, the National Football League has agreed to pay $765 million to resolve multidistrict litigation being overseen by a federal judge in Philadelphia over brain injuries players say were caused by repeated concussions…

Aug 29, 2013 6:05 PM CDT