Houston resident Christine Reid filed a lawsuit against American Eagle Protective Services Corp. on December 14, 2016.
Reid is claiming her employer engaged in retaliation and wrongful termination by neglecting to provide reasonable accommodation for her. She adds the company discriminated against her, subjected her to retaliation, and fired her because of her national origin and medical condition she sustained after a major surgery in the fall of 2013. The former employee, a Jamaican-American woman, is requesting a trial by jury, damages in an amount within the jurisdictional limits of the court, punitive damages excluding attorney fees, reinstatement, interests, cost of court, and other equitable relief as deemed necessary by the court.
When you are dealing with wrongful termination, discrimination, overtime or wage disputes, retaliation, or other employment law issues, it is essential to enlist the support of an experienced employment attorney. Contact our attorneys at The Melton Law Firm in Austin by calling our offices today at (512) 330-0017.
As of Monday, June 6, Texas has 12 cities with populations of more than 100,000 that have instituted legislation that establishes protection for residents or city employees based on sexual orientation or gender identity. The newest addition to this list is the city of Mesquite.
For more than ten years, Dallas, Fort Worth, and Austin have held ordinances that protect members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transsexual community from discrimination in employment, housing choices, and public spaces like restaurants and public transportation. Of Texas’ major cities, it is Houston that does not want to budge. On November 3, 2015, 61% of voters in Houston voted against a measure that established discrimination protection for LGBT residents. LGBT employees in Houston are now protected by a nondiscrimination measure only via an executive order. Fort Worth was the first city in Texas to institute protection for all individuals based on sexual orientation in 2000, which it expanded to include gender identity in 2009.
If you have faced discrimination on the basis of gender or sexual orientation, the attorneys at The Melton Law Firm may be able to help you receive compensation. Contact us at (512) 330-0017 to discuss your personal situation.
Former Austin Police Department Officer Blayne Williams, who was fired from the force in 2015, is appealing his termination, claiming that he was fired for filing a discrimination complaint against the department.
In his lawsuit filed on Thursday, April 28, Williams says that his termination from the police force is unjust because he was not informed of complaints filed against him, which is a requirement of the civil service. He also attributes his termination to a discrimination complaint he lodged against the police department in 2011, saying he felt he received different treatment than his white counterparts. City of Austin spokesman Bryce Bencivengo said that the city stands by Police Chief Art Acevedo, noting “We are prepared to defend Chief Acevedo’s decisions, which were upheld by an independent hearing examiner.”
If you are experiencing employment issues in Austin, such as a hostile work environment, wrongful termination, a wage dispute, or discrimination, the attorneys at The Melton Law Firm may be able to help you with your situation. Call our offices at (512) 330-0017 to see what we can do for you.
A new study, titled The Comprehensive Annenberg Report on Diversity, showed that movies and television shows produced by major media companies in Hollywood are “whitewashed,” and that an “epidemic of invisibility” is prevalent top to bottom throughout the industry for women, minorities, and the lesbian/gay/bisexual/transgender community.
The study focused on 109 movies released by major studios (including art-house divisions) in 2014 and non-reality TV and digital series across 31 networks and streaming services that were aired between September 2014 and August 2015.
Over 11,000 speaking characters were studied for gender, racial and ethnic representation, and LGBT status. Diversity among 10,000 directors, writers, and show creators, and around 1,500 executives was also examined.
The study showed that women, minorities, and people belonging to the LGBT community are underrepresented no matter the media platform or position within the entertainment industry, from chief executive officers to minor characters in films and television shows.
Sadly, this is only one representation of discrimination that is present in the American workforce. If you believe that you have been discriminated against at your place of employment or at a potential place of employment, find out what legal options are open to you by contacting the Austin employment attorneys of The Melton Law Firm today at (512) 330-0017.
The United States Equal Employment Opportunity Commission has recently announced a $4 million settlement for former employees of the Paris, Texas factory of the Sara Lee Corp. after two years of investigations into complaints of workers’ rights and health violations. This announcement marks the largest settlement the EEOC has brokered regarding a hostile work environment case.
In addition to paying monetary damages, Sara Lee was ordered by the EEOC to initiate measures that would prevent workplace discrimination and to deliver periodical reports to the agency regarding working conditions at the factory.
The investigation yielded evidence that African-American employees were exposed to unsafe working conditions, such as black mold asbestos and other dangerous toxins, during the course of their daily work while Caucasian employees were promoted to work in areas of the factory that were not exposed to such substances.
No employer has the right to treat their employees disrespectfully due to prejudices of any kind. If you had been a victim of workplace discrimination in Austin or other areas in Texas, seek the legal assistance of our attorneys at The Melton Law Firm today by calling our offices at (512) 330-0017.
Tyler, Texas professor Richard Tabu has filed a lawsuit on Wednesday, November 18 in the Marshall Division of the Eastern District of Texas against Tyler Junior College, claiming that the school is guilty of employment discrimination under the Americans with Disabilities Act.
According to the lawsuit, Tyler started working as a full professor in the school’s computer science department in August 2006. Around that time, Tabu started suffering from obstructed lacriminal ducts, a condition which prevents Tabu from producing natural tears and which caused him to request accommodations in the form of a full online schedule in October 2013, a request which the school denied. Tabu was then forced to take a medical leave of absence in January 2014, which used up all of his paid leave time at the college.
The suit claims that Tyler Junior College has continuously denied Tabu accommodations that would allow him to teach a full work schedule, thus violating his rights under the Americans with Disabilities Act.
Employees and workers in the state of Texas enjoy certain inalienable rights under laws and codes which employers must uphold. If your rights have been violated in Texas or you feel that you have been the victim of discrimination, the Austin attorneys at The Melton Law Firm are prepared to represent you as we fight for justice. Call (512) 330-0017 today to discuss your case with our legal team.
The United States Equal Employment Opportunity Commission filed a lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas, Austin Division against Austin’s Park N Pizza, a Pflugerville-based amusement park, after the company terminated an employee based on his intellectual disabilities without attempting to provide any accommodations.
According to the legal complaint filed by EEOC, the employee in question suffered a traumatic brain injury as a child, leading to some mental impairments; however, he was able to work for the park for four years doing maintenance and custodial work.
It was only when the company implemented a new computerized timekeeping system that the employee experienced difficulty logging his hours. After noticing her son had not received payment in some time, the employee’s mother contacted the park and questioned the change, asking that they provide some alternative method of logging hours for her son. The company refused her request and later terminated the employee.
The attorneys at The The Melton Law Firm feel strongly that any form of discrimination is deplorable and should not be tolerated. If you have been the victim of this type of behavior in your workplace, our legal team can help you explore your legal options and take action to put a stop to this injustice. To discuss your situation with our attorneys, call us at (512) 330-0017 today.
New Jersey resident Marybeth Walz, who had worked as an executive at Bedminster, New Jersey-based Verizon Wireless for 17 years, has recently filed a lawsuit against the telecommunications company in Massachusetts, claiming that the company denied to give her maternity leave payment, and then terminated her employment contract after she took extra days off from work after her twins – who were brought to the world via a surrogate mother – both died shortly after birth.
Walz said she delayed having children due to her work at Verizon and was later unable to have children after she was diagnosed with cervical cancer. She is alleging that Verizon has discriminated against her on the basis of sex, pregnancy, and disability.
If you have been discriminated against based on your age, race, gender, or disability, and you reside in Austin or other areas in Texas, you can be sure that our attorneys at The Melton Law Firm are willing and able to provide you with legal assistance and representation. Learn more about the legal services that we offer by calling our offices today at (512) 330-0017.
Restaurant chain Texas Roadhouse is currently battling a lawsuit lodged against it by the Obama administration in the form of the United States Equal Employment Opportunity Commission over allegations of age discrimination, the Hill reported on March 23.
Republicans on the House of Representatives education and workforce committee held a hearing on March 24 to address what they call a problem that has been plaguing the EEOC. The group believes that the EEOC has been filing suits against businesses that did not stem from any complaint.
Texas Roadhouse chief executive officer and founder W. Kent Taylor said the agency is targeting his company and noted that it should “explain to Congress why it chases no-complaint cases when there are over 70,000 cases of racial and other complaints of discrimination that are back-logged on and not acted on.”
If you have suffered from discrimination in your workplace based in Austin or other areas in Texas, our attorneys at The Melton Law Firm may represent your rights and interests against the people or parties who caused you to suffer. Call our offices at (512) 330-0017 to learn more about pursuing a claim.
Around eighteen Austin police officers have filed a lawsuit against the city for alleged race and age discrimination.
According to the Austin American-Statesman, the police officers, aged 40 years old and above and mostly black or Hispanic, were reassigned from their former post as members of APD’s organized crime division in 2013 to various posts that ranged from traffic division to desk jobs.
The officers who filed the lawsuit had been replaced by young, white male officers and these reassignments have negatively affected their career tracks, they alleged in their complaint. A spokesman from the Austin Police Department said they have yet to comment on the lawsuit as they have yet to receive a copy of it.
In 2011, 29 Austin police officers who filed an unrelated discrimination suit against the Austin Police Department and won $1.5 million.
Our attorneys at The Melton Law Firm in Austin specialize in employment cases that include wrongful termination, discrimination, overtime/wage disputes, and hostile work environment, among others. Call our offices today at (512) 330-0017 if you would like to discuss your situation with a friendly member of our legal team.
