Skillin v. Rady Children’s Hosp. of San Diego, 2017 WL 6029754 (Cal. Ct. App. 2017)
David Skillin brought a Private Attorneys General Act lawsuit against his former employer, Rady Children’s Hospital of San Diego, based upon allegedly unauthorized payroll deductions that the hospital made from his wages, resulting in higher than desired contributions to his retirement plan. The trial court granted summary judgment in
Turman v. Superior Court, 17 Cal. App. 5th 969 (2017)
Former employees of the restaurant Koji’s Japan, Inc. sued Koji’s along with Koji’s president, sole shareholder and director Arthur J. Parent, Jr. (“Parent”) and A.J. Parent Company, Inc. (aka “America’s Printer”). Following a bench trial, the trial court determined that Parent and America’s Printer were not alter egos of Koji’s. However, because the trial
Dunlap v. Liberty Natural Products, 2017 WL 6614570 (9th Cir. 2017)
Tracy Dunlap sued her employer Liberty Natural Products for violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act (“ADA”) and Oregon state law when Liberty terminated her employment after she was diagnosed with bilateral lateral epicondylitis in both elbows. The jury awarded Dunlap $70,000 in noneconomic damages, and the district court awarded her $13,200 in
Clemens v. Qwest Corp., 874 F.3d 1113 (9th Cir. 2017)
Arthur Clemens, Jr., sued his employer Qwest Corporation for race discrimination and retaliation in violation of Title VII. A jury awarded Clemens $157,000 for lost wages and benefits, more than $275,000 for emotional distress and $100,000 in punitive damages. The district court reduced the emotional distress and punitive damages awards to a total of
Padron v. Watchtower Bible & Tract Soc’y of NY, Inc., 16 Cal. App. 5th 1246 (2017)
Oswaldo Padron sued Watchtower for negligence; negligent supervision/failure to warn; negligent hiring/retention; sexual battery and sexual harassment, etc., associated with his allegedly being molested by one of Watchtower’s agents (Gonzalo Campos) when Padron was a child. Following multiple hearings and motions, the trial court imposed a $2,000 per
Huhmann v. Federal Express Corp., 874 F.3d 1102 (9th Cir. 2017)
Dale Huhmann alleged that when he returned from serving in the United States Air Force, he was paid a signing bonus of $7,400 instead of the $17,700 bonus that he would have received had he not served. In a bench trial, the district court ruled in Huhmann’s favor, and the Ninth Circuit affirmed.
Benjamin v. B&H Educ., Inc., 2017 WL 6460087 (9th Cir. 2017)
Plaintiffs in this case are students of cosmetology and hair design at the Marinello Schools of Beauty (“B&H”) in California and Nevada. Plaintiffs claim that they are employees within the meaning of the Fair Labor Standards Act (“FLSA”) and under California and Nevada state law on the ground that much of their time
Jameson v. Pacific Gas & Elec. Co., 16 Cal. App. 5th 901 (2017)
Steve Jameson worked for PG&E for more than 26 years before his employment as a regional construction manager was terminated. Prior to the termination, PG&E retained an outside investigator who was a former PG&E staff lawyer who had investigated (personally or through another member of her law firm) approximately 100 alleged violations
International Bhd. of Boilermakers, et al. v. NASSCO Holdings Inc., 17 Cal. App. 5th 1105 (2017)
The union and several employees sued the employer NASSCO, alleging it had violated the California WARN Act (Cal. Lab. Code § 1400, et seq.) by not providing at least 60 days’ advance notice to approximately 90 employees who were ordered not to return to work for four or
Cornell v. Berkeley Tennis Club, 2017 WL 6524707 (Cal. Ct. App. 2017)
Ketryn Cornell is a severely obese woman (BMI > 50) who was fired from her job as a manager and tennis court washer for the Berkeley Tennis Club. Following her termination, she sued the Club for disability discrimination, failure to accommodate her disability, disability harassment, retaliation, wrongful discharge in violation of public