$3.6 million award for employment discrimination by retaliation

Categorized Under:

A wrongful termination suit in California, which is filed on behalf of an employee against the former employer, may be based on federal or state law, depending upon the facts and issues involved. In some instances, the employee may base an employment discrimination case on both state and federal statutes that have been violated. One general principle of employment law is that it is illegal for the employer to retaliate against an employee who is a legitimate whistle blower or even one who simply tries to report illegality to the employer.

Laws regarding retaliation are evolving nationwide, and it is generally true that remedies are expanding regarding the volatile issue of reporting employer illegalities. In another state recently, a jury verdict awarded $3.6 million to a therapist who complained of being fired for reporting patient neglect to her boss. The lawsuit papers indicate that the plaintiff mental health worker complained to management that the mental health facility faced issues of improper administering of medications, overdoses because of self-administration of medication, and prescription irregularities.

This award was reportedly the largest in North Carolina history from a wrongful termination case. The therapist’s attorney stated that the issue was retaliation against a mental health worker who tried to report employer wrongdoing. The plaintiff, who was terminated in Jan. 2009, claimed damages for loss of earnings and earning capacity, mental and emotional distress, medical expenses and miscellaneous losses.

The CEO of the facility stated that it will not appeal the decision. He simply indicated that despite their beliefs of acting correctly, a jury had found otherwise. The same result in an employment discrimination case with these facts is likely under California law. 

Source: citizen-times.com, “CooperRiis to pay $3.6 million in wrongful firing lawsuit“, Mar. 9, 2016


In:

This is attorney advertising. These posts are written on behalf of Law Offices of Todd M. Friedman, P.C. and are intended solely as informational content. These blogs in no way provide specific or actionable legal advice, nor does your use of or engagement with this site establish any attorney-client relationship. Please read the disclaimer

More Insights from the TMF Blog

Forced Retirement: When Is It Age Discrimination?

Age discrimination in the workplace is a serious and widespread issue, particularly when it comes to forced retirement. While some companies implement mandatory retirement ...

EEOC Pauses LGBTQ+ Discrimination Investigations, California’s CRD Continues

The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), the federal agency responsible for investigating workplace discrimination claims, has reportedly halted its investigations into cases related to ...

Worker Win: California Restricts Driver’s License Requirements for Employment

California’s workforce just gained a significant victory with the passage of Senate Bill 1100, signed into law by Governor Gavin Newsom on September 28, ...

Book a Free Case Review

We fearlessly and tenaciously represent employees and consumers in California, Illinois, Ohio, and Pennsylvania. Tell us the issues you're facing, and we'll tell you what the options are.