Employment Lawyer Blog

New York City's Mayor Michael Bloomberg answered another round of questions on Monday pertaining to a 2007 class action suit against his former company, Bloomberg LP, for gender discrimination. The class action involves more than 80 women who claim that they were discriminated against for being pregnant. Although Mayor Bloomberg has no active involvement in the day-to-day management of the company, he maintains an 85% ownership stake.

Due to the power of his public office, the Mayor has been closely scrutinized by the press and by women's groups about this gender discrimination matter. The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) deposed him for about the three and a half hours on Monday -- a full hour less than he had been deposed previously. Case observers believe this will be the last time the Mayor will make on-record statements about the discrimination matter. A spokesman for the EEOC appeared disappointed and described Mr. Bloomberg's testimony as "dismissive and disinterested."

If you or a family member has experienced gender discrimination or harassment at your place of employment -- be it in New York City or elsewhere across the country -- you can turn to the highly regarded law firm of Joesph, Herzfeld, Hester & Kirschenbaum. Please find out more about our reputation for client service and results at www.jhllp.com, or call one of our representatives at 1-866-348-7394 ASAP to book a free and confidential consultation.

Two female Houston firefighters, Paula Keys and Jane Draycott, came forward on Thursday July, 9th with allegations of sexual and racial harassment at their workplace. Their claims have prompted a formal Federal Justice Department investigation and have the potential to bring down Houston's fire chief.

The firefighters alleged that their peers (the majority of whom are white and male) have harassed them for years. According to the claimants' attorney, perpetrators in the department turned off the water in the women's showers and set off firecrackers in their bathroom. This already egregious and illegal harassment was child's play compared with the latest, horrific incident, in which as-yet-unidentified perpetrators defaced and vandalized the women's lockers. Someone scrawled the word "die" on firefighter Jane Draycott's face and scrawled the word "dead" on a picture of her deceased teenage daughter. That this kind of sociopathic behavior could flourish could spell serious political problems for key leadership figures in the fire department.

In fact, the head of the Houston Black Firefighters Association excoriated the HFD for failing to provide "strong leadership" amidst the crisis. On the other hand, the head of the Houston Professional Firefighters Association has come out tentatively in support of the chief. Some in the regional media have noted parallels between this gender and race harassment case and the case of firefighter Frank Ricci of New Haven. In the Ricci case - which has recently become famous thanks to its association with President Obama's Supreme Court justice nominee, Sonia Sotomayor -- the plaintiffs alleged so-called "reverse" discrimination. In the Houston firefighters' case, the matter involves more "traditional" discrimination against minorities and women. However this matter turns out, it will no doubt yield significant implications for racial and gender politics in the Houston region.

If you've been subjected to harassment, threats, or retaliation at the workplace, the law provides you with significant recourse. Explore your avenues to seek justice and compensation today by getting in touch with the attorneys here at Joseph, Herzfeld, Hester & Kirschenbaum LLP.

According to an Associate Press article dated July 9th, 2009, the federally run Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) has won a $250,000 judgment in a sexual discrimination and retaliation case involving a temp agency.

According to the report, a company called Preferred Labor LLC - an employment company based out of North Carolina - had illegally catered to customer requests for male-only temps for certain jobs. One woman alleged that, after she complained about the company's gender discrimination tactics, her superiors punished her -- in direct violation of federal prohibitions against employer retaliation.

Preferred Labor is no longer in business, and it has sold off its component parts to an outside employment agency. If the company wished to start up again, it would have to pay for and conduct manager and employee training in anti-discrimination.

Unfortunately, many temporary employees -- like the Worcester women who suffered both discrimination and retaliation in this case -- are only dimly aware of their rights under employment law. Even temporary hires and independent contractors cannot be subjected to harassment or discrimination on the job. To find out more about your legal rights or to press for liability against your employer or former employer, connect with the law firm of Joseph, Herzfeld, Hester & Kirschenbaum LLP today.

On June 22nd, a Federal District Judge decreed that the Hickory Hills Country Club in Illinois would have to pay a total of $690,000 to claimants in an ongoing dispute that includes charges of gender and race discrimination as well as retaliation. The United States Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) brought the suit against Hickory Hills on behalf of a class of claimants, including female employees and African-American job applicants who have been denied employment (allegedly) due to their race.

Timeline of the Case:

On October 24th, 2007, three female claimants filed a private suit against their employers for sex discrimination. The women claimed that they had been harassed and had been subjected to hostile work conditions. The defendants responded by countersuing the women in Illinois court, claiming that the women had breeched fiduciary duties and destroyed the banquet hall's property. The EEOC investigated the defendant's countersuit and found that not only did it have no grounds, but that it also violated the claimants' federally protected rights to take action to combat workplace discrimination.

In September of 2008, the EEOC countersued Chateau Del Mar for retaliating against the women. The three separate cases were all brought before a US district judge as components of a related matter. Per a consent decree, the judge resolved the cases and stipulated that the claimants should receive monitory relief and that Hickory Hills and Chateau Del Mar must train their staffs in gender and race discrimination law.

If you or a coworker has been subjected to racial discrimination, sexual harassment, or retaliation, the law provides you with an array of tools to exact justice and collect compensation from your employer. To find out more about your rights and your employer's legal limitations, connect with the firm of Joseph, Herzfeld, Hester & Kirschenbaum LLP today. We offer free, totally confidential consultations for prospective clients.

Two prominent Colorado ski resorts, Keystone and Vail, have been ordered to pay $80,000 to a claimant named Lisa Cornwell, pursuant to charges of religious discrimination and sexual harassment at the workplace. Ms. Cornwell, represented by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), had alleged that her supervisor at Keystone had harassed her based both on her religious practices/beliefs and her gender. Her boss, Rick Garcia, did not allow Ms. Cornwell to talk about her religion or listen to religious music at work; at the same time, Mr. Garcia did allow other workers to listen to music that contained profanities and lyrics that degraded women, which made Ms. Cornwell uncomfortable. In addition, the EEOC complaint against the Vail Corporation and Keystone Resort alleged that Ms. Cornwell had to tolerate untoward sexual jokes and had unfairly been denied shift priorities. Furthermore, when Ms. Cornwell contacted the EEOC about the abuse she had been receiving, Mr. Garcia terminated her in retaliation.

The EEOC alleged that the Vail Corporation and Keystone Resort had violated Title VII of the Civil Rights Acts of 1964, which mandates that employers accommodate the religious beliefs of their workers and which outlaws gender discrimination and retaliation at the workplace. The EEOC had attempted to reach an out of court settlement with Vail, but when negotiations broke down, the EEOC took the matter to trial. The Denver Field Director of the federal agency noted that religious discrimination claims like Ms. Cornwell's have been increasing over the past decade - up 80% from the late 1990s.

If you have encountered religious discrimination, gender harassment, retaliation, or other unfair workplace conditions, the law firm of Joseph, Herzfeld, Hester & Kirschenbaum LLP may be able to assist you. Peruse our website, or contact us either via email or phone to set up a confidential discussion about your matter.