By

Hari C

Unity Technologies Sued by Former HR Vice President for Sexual Harassment

The former vice president of human resources at Unity Technologies, Anne Evans, is suing the company for sexual harassment and wrongful termination. She alleges that Unity’s CEO John Riccitiello sexually harassed her. She claims that Unity’s workplace in general was “highly sexualized” where employees discussed their sexual relationships openly. Evans also alleges that Riccitiello repeatedly asked Evans to have sex with him on a couple of different occasions.

The lawsuit filed by Evans alleges retaliation, discrimination, wrongful termination, and other allegations. She was promoted from senior director of recruiting to vice president two years after she started working for Unity Technologies. Allegedly, Riccitiello started making sexual comments to her after she was promoted.

On a separate occasion, Evans had a dispute with another Unity employee over undisclosed topics. Earlier on in 2019, she stated the dispute led to her wrongful termination from Unity as retaliation for the dispute. Her lawsuit was filed shortly after. Unity alleges that multiple opportunities were given to Evans to share her concerns during an investigation at Unity, but she “never did.”

If you feel that you have been wrongfully terminated due to retaliation and you would like to know your rights as an employee in the state of California, please contact the attorneys at the California Employment Law Group today for a free consultation with an experienced employment lawyer.

Transportation Network III Sued for Wrongful Termination by Pregnant Former Employee

A former employee of Turnpike Ford auto dealership, which is owned by Transportation Network III alleges she was wrongfully terminated by the company for her gender and her pregnancy. Melinda Smith began working for Turnpike Ford in June 2017, and Transportation Network III purchased the dealership in January of 2018. Smith claims in her lawsuit that she was subject to inappropriate sexual comments and degrading treatment.

Smith states in the lawsuit that she started dating a manager of a different dealership location, which to her knowledge was not against any company rules. The manager was then asked to sign a document in May of 2018 to confirm he was aware that it is against company policy for a manager to have a romantic relationship with a co-worker. In November of 2018, Smith informed human resources that she was pregnant.

Smith was called into the HR office in December to meet with supervisors of the company to discuss her pregnancy situation. Allegedly, Smith was asked to consider working at a different dealership location, and that she should consider a demotion. During the meeting, Smith told her supervisors she wished to stay in her existing position. Less than a month later, she was told her position was being eliminated and that she was terminated. She is seeking wages due, legal fees, and costs.

If you feel that you have been wrongfully terminated due to retaliation or that you have been discriminated against because of your gender or pregnancy and would like to know your rights as an employee in the state of California, please contact the attorneys at the California Employment Law Group today for a free consultation with an experienced employment lawyer.

Schlumberger Technology Corporation Sued for Racial Discrimination

Michael B. Johnson, a former employee of the Schlumberger Technology Corporation has filed a racial discrimination lawsuit against the company. The lawsuit came after Johnson, who is an African American man, was told that he “didn’t belong here” by the safety representative at the company. He was also warned that he “should not buy a house in the area.” A different employee used racial slurs and gender stereotyped comments that were directed at Johnson and other employees.

Johnson filed a formal verbal and written complaint in early September of 2018 with the Human Resources department. When he checked back with Human Resources in October to see if the matter had been handled, Johnson alleged that Schlumberger Technology Corporation took no actions against the employees. This led Johnson to claim the company did not properly investigate the situation.

A few weeks after the complaint, Johnson was laid off since the company had no work for him. Johnson believes he was laid off in retaliation of his racial discrimination complaints. He was not offered to be transferred to a location that had available work. Shortly after he was laid off, Johnson alleged that the company replaced him with a Caucasian male even though he was told there was no work. According to documents given to the court, multiple employees were hired with less experience than Johnson, and Schlumberger kept employees on who had less seniority.

If you feel that you have been wrongfully terminated due to retaliation or that you have been discriminated against because of your race and would like to know your rights as an employee in the state of California, please contact the attorneys at the California Employment Law Group today for a free consultation with an experienced employment lawyer.

Former J.O. Spice Employee Sues Owner for Sexual Harassment

A former female employee of J.O. Spice and Cure Company, a Maryland company that sells crab seasoning, is suing the owner, Donald Ports, for repeated sexual harassment. In the lawsuit, the employee states that Ports would continuously bring up indecent topics in a work environment, which included discussing women’s bodies in demeaning and sexually explicit manners.

Ports allegedly told the plaintiff that she must have sex with him both at work and at a motel in the area. The plaintiff got married, but was threatened by Ports who said he would tell her husband about his sexual relationship with her if she stopped having sex with him. The female employee expected her punishment would be terminated if she did not comply with Ports.

The female employee left the company in January of 2018 before filing a discrimination complaint with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission later in the year. The plaintiff is “seeking relief including punitive damages, compensation for lost wages and attorney’s fees.”

If you feel that you have been a victim of sexual harassment and would like to know your rights as an employee in the state of California, please contact the attorneys at the California Employment Legal Group today for a free consultation with an experienced employment lawyer.

Deming Public School Board of Education Sued for Wrongful Termination & Discrimination

The former Assistant Superintendent of Deming Public Schools, Ray Trejo, filed a lawsuit on June 19, 2019 against the school board for wrongful termination and discrimination. Allegedly, the school board wrongfully accused Trejo of “negligence in the administration of his duties” and have disregarded proper procedural requirements by “harassing,” and “punishing” Trejo before terminating him on June 28, 2018.

Three months into Trejo’s tenure, he attended a meeting to discuss an audit that was run by the district’s former accounting firm. Trejo found out that some of the school’s finances were missing. Trejo acted on the matter as a whistleblower to the superintendent Dr. Lere. In the same year, Lere announced he was retiring, which led to Trejo being a finalist for Lere’s position. A man named Arsenio Romero was selected instead, and then proceeded to demote Trejo because of “pressure from the governing board.”

Trejo was put on administrative leave in December of 2017 after the school found out almost $150,000 had been embezzled. In June 2018, Trejo was wrongfully terminated. Trejo alleges the board discriminated against him due to his Hispanic ethnicity, his race, and his age.

If you feel that you have been retaliated against for being a whistleblower or have been wrongfully terminated by your employer, please contact the attorneys at the California Employment Legal Group today for a free consultation with an experienced employment lawyer who will clearly explain your rights and options under the law.

HoyStarkHagan Architects Employee Files Sexual Harassment Suit Against Architect

Megan Glasgow, an employee of HoyStarkHagan Architects alleged on June 19 that Patrick Hoy, the owner of the law firm, touched her without her consent and sexually harassed her during a work trip in January. Hoy allegedly sent sexually inappropriate texts to Glasgow prior to the work trip, and that he sent nude photos of himself to her. While they were on the work trip, Hoy suggested that he and Glasgow have sex while he was touching her lower back and her knees.

According to Glasgow’s complaint, she rejected the sexual advances, and declined to participate in any sexual acts with Hoy. He persisted and texted her his hotel room number just in case she “changed her mind.” After returning from the trip, Glasgow complained to the HoyStarkHagan in regards to the sexual harassment, and was placed on leave for several weeks. An investigation took place at the firm until February 8th where Glasgow was told her allegations were not justified. Her sexual harassment lawsuit was filed the same day.

Glasgow returned to work after her leave, and was greeted by a significant decrease in duties and tasks, less working hours, and a chaperone that was required to be with her at all times in the office. Reportedly, Hoy stated he did in fact proposition Glasgow for sexual activity during his deposition, but HoyStarkHagan Architecture firm denied the documents in court. A hearing will be taking place in mid-July.

If you feel that you have been retaliated against for being a whistleblower of sexual harassment and would like to know your rights as an employee in the state of California, please contact the attorneys at the California Employment Legal Group today for a free consultation with an experienced employment lawyer.

Omnicom and TracyLocke Sued for Alleged Sexual Harassment by Former Creative Director

Karen Dunbar, the former creative director of DDB agency TracyLocke, is suing the company as well as its parent company Omnicom Group for alleged sexual harassment as well as wrongful termination. Dunbar joined TracyLocke in 2015 as creative director, and claims she was always prevented from moving forward with the company in a higher position despite her great performance.

Dunbar also claims in her suit that she was made to feel as though she was a sexual object, not only by co-workers, but also clients. In a meeting with a client, the client told Dunbar’s superior that he wanted her to sit next to him “so there’d be somebody sexy, young and pretty.” Dunbar’s male co-workers also allegedly tried touching her without her consent and verbally abused her at the office. Despite multiple documents and reports being sent to superiors at TracyLocke, and Omnicom’s HR offices, there was little or no action taken against the alleged abusers for sexually harassing Dunbar. In an attempt to organize the women of the office, Dunbar was terminated and accused of disloyalty.

The lawsuit is comprised of multiple charges, including “gender discrimination, discriminatory pay and promotion and retaliation for her opposition to these practices” and Dunbar is seeking an unspecified amount of money, but she is seeking compensatory and punitive damages, as well as legal and fair relief.

If you have been retaliated against, sexually harassed, or wrongfully terminated by your employer, please contact the attorneys at the California Employment Legal Group today for a free consultation with an experienced employment lawyer who will clearly explain your rights and options under the law.

Teacher Files Wrongful Termination Lawsuit After Posing for Semi-Nude Photos

Chelsey Zelasko, a former teacher at Grove School, has filed a wrongful termination lawsuit against the school for “unlawful and retaliatory termination.” Zelasko is registered as a Democrat, but was extremely vocal as a Donald Trump supporter while he was running for president. In 2016, Zelasko got involved with a website called betterthantheweekend.com who created a series where they would interview people across the country while they were willingly partially nude.

Zelasko’s interview and photograph, titled “Female Trump Supporter Gets Naked to Make American Great Again” was released on November 1, 2016, where she was posed partially nude with American flags and firearms covering her private areas. The executive director of Grove School, Peter Chorney, called Zelasko telling her he was concerned about the photographs, and then suggested she resign from her position.

In Zelasko’s lawsuit, she argues that her participation with betterthantheweekend.com’s series was her right to free speech. She responded to Chorney in email form, saying that she would return to work unless he told her otherwise. Chorney believed Zelasko was not setting a good example for the students she was educating at the time.

Zelasko was then retaliated against, and she was wrongfully terminated through a letter on April 5, with her lawsuit alleging the Grove School stated it could not “allow itself to be associated with this kind of behavior.” Zelasko is seeking lost wages, punitive damages, attorneys’ fees, and is estimated to be asking for an amount over $15,000.

If you have been wrongfully terminated by your employer, please contact the attorneys at the California Employment Legal Group today for a free consultation with an experienced employment lawyer who will clearly explain your rights and options under the law.

Former Marshalltown Community College Instructor Files for Wrongful Termination

Tamara Damman, a former instructor for Marshalltown Community College was discharged after complaints from multiple students led to her alleged wrongful termination. On April 17, Damman, an associate professor of dental assisting for almost three years, was told her contract would not be renewed after May 14. She then filed a lawsuit against Iowa Valley Community College District as well as Marshalltown Community College Associate Dean Beth Johanns on April 24.

In the fall of 2018, a student filed a complaint with the Iowa College Aid Commission in regards to Damman’s conduct, but the documents were redacted to a certain degree to protect the students. In response to the question of her conduct, Damman claims in her lawsuit that Johanns and the district have practiced “negligent or reckless hiring, supervision and retention, as well as wrongful termination in violation of public policy.” Damman alleges that Johanns was purposefully interfering with her employment rights.

According to the institution and the laws, however, Damman’s contract was probationary, meaning that her contract as an instructor allowed her to be terminated without cause. The next step in Damman’s case is for her lawyers to continue to collect information, with hopes that her case will either get settled out of court or go to trial.

If you have been wrongfully terminated by your employer, please contact the attorneys at the California Employment Legal Group today for a free consultation with an experienced employment lawyer who will clearly explain your rights and options under the law.

Former Manager Sues Lids for Being Retaliated Against for Sexual Harassment Complaint

Jalesa Staton, former manager of the Lids store at the Greenbrier Mall in Virginia, was wrongfully terminated by the retail store as retaliation for filing a complaint against her boss. In July 2013, Staton was working as the assistant manager of a Norfolk Lids store before she was transferred in October 2015 to Greenbrier and promoted to manager. In February 2016, Staton complained about her boss by sending an emailed complaint to the Lids complaint line, but never received a response.

A few weeks after sending the initial email, Staton sent a follow up email regarding her situation, and then sent yet another email on March 14, 2016. Lids’ human resources complaint line responded to her third email, telling Staton they had addressed her concerns and that they “hope that this issue will be resolved going forward.” However, on January 31, 2017, Staton sent a fourth email to human resources regarding her supervisor making unwanted sexual comments to her, and that he had accused her of filing a fabricated sexual harassment complaint. Staton decided to call human resources in addition to her email.

An HR manager responded by phone call telling Staton to simply report to a different supervisor. Two days after the call, Staton was asked to participate in a conference call over the phone with a higher-ranking HR manager, and was told she was now being put on a formal performance improvement plan. On May 15, 2017, Staton was issued a written warning and was involuntarily transferred to a different store. The following day, Staton filed a complaint with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, and she was wrongfully terminated on May 31, 2017.

The EEOC filed a lawsuit last week against the two companies who own Lids retail stores. The lawsuit alleges that Lids purposefully retaliated against Staton for issuing a complaint about her boss. In the lawsuit, Staton is asking for back pay, prejudgment interest, and other damages.

If you have been retaliated against, sexually harassed, or wrongfully terminated by your employer, please contact the attorneys at the California Employment Legal Group today for a free consultation with an experienced employment lawyer who will clearly explain your rights and options under the law.