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Employment – Consultant’s sex discrimination claim is dismissed
The wdva dismissed Stephanie Boudreaux's sex discrimination claim against Booz Allen Hamilton, finding no adverse employment action under Title VII.
Employment – Company dismissed from unpaid commission suit
Extremity Care LLC was dismissed from a Virginia Wage Payment Act suit for unpaid commissions due to lack of employer status under the statute.
General Assembly passes bill limiting noncompete enforceability for terminated employees
Virginia Senate Bill 170 limits enforceability of noncompete agreements for employees terminated without severance, expanding employee rights statewide.
Justices wary of Trump bid to fire Fed Gov. Lisa Cook
The U.S. Supreme Court signaled reluctance to let President Trump remove Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook, suggesting a narrow, procedural ruling.
Employment: Coal miner’s wife is awarded Black Lung Benefits
Where a doctor reached his diagnosis of pneumoconiosis based, in part, on terminal arterial blood gas studies, the administrative law judge did not err in finding the report sufficiently “linked” the studies results to the decedent’s pneumoconiosis.
Employment: In issue of first impression, court construes NLRA manager exception
Where a company argued an instructor was a managerial employee, and thereby excluded from the National Labor Relations Act’s protection against retaliation, this argument failed. The employee was not permitted to formulate or effectuate management policies; had no ability to alter the curriculum he taught; played no role in selecting students for training; was not allowed to independently discip[...]
Employment: Professor’s complaint dismissed as implausible
Where a college professor failed to plead facts making its plausible that his non-selection for tenure was for discriminatory or retaliatory reasons, his suit was dismissed.
Employment: Court dismisses ERISA claims against Northrop Grumman
Where plaintiffs argued defendants violated ERISA when they failed to apply forfeited Plan contributions to Plan expenses or employees’ account restoration, but the Plan did not require to first use forfeitures to restore participants’ accounts or pay administrative expenses before the forfeitures may be used to reduce the company’s contributions, the ERISA claims were dismissed.
Employment: Parties dispute whether employee gave notice of alleged harassment
Where an employee alleged that he reported incidents of racial harassment to another employee, and there were disputed facts over whether that other employee was a “supervisor,” the company’s motion for summary judgment was denied. A reasonable jury could possibly conclude that plaintiff’s actions in reporting the incidents to the other employee may impute liability to the company.
Employment: Facts don’t support constructive discharge claim
Although a woman alleged she suffered false disciplinary actions, negative reviews, verbal harassment, exclusion from email chains, denial of medical leave and threats of transfer to undesirable work sites, these allegations were inadequate to support a constructive discharge claim, which requires employment conditions so intolerable that she was forced to resign.
Employment: Title VII applies to ‘Astronomer Emeritus’ professor
Where a retired professor with “Astronomer Emeritus” status was terminated two days after he sent an email raising concerns about allegedly discriminatory hiring policies, he plausibly alleged a claim for retaliation.
Employment: Governmental board member is immune from employment claims
Where the former president and CEO of a governmental agency alleged an agency board member tortiously interfered with his contract and retaliated against him, but the board member was immune from acts conducted within his authority, which was the case here, the suit was dismissed.
Legal Tech
- How large language models are leveling the personal injury playing field
- Attorney Share, Lawmatics integrate to automate law firm referrals
- How ransomware tactics against law firms are changing
Verdicts & Settlements
- Motor Vehicle Negligence – Motorcyclist suffers severe injuries in vehicle accident
- Medical Malpractice – Patient dies after alleged improper medicine admin
- Workers’ Compensation-Vehicle accident paralyzes Brazilian cement worker
- Medical Malpractice – Death from cancer followed stomach pain misdiagnosis
- Workers’ Compensation – Seasonal worker paralyzed in tobacco baler accident
Opinion Digests
- Criminal – Defendant convicted based upon Commonwealth witnesses’ testimony
- Zoning – Party failed to show its due process rights were violated
- Tort – Jury’s zero-damages verdict for inmate plaintiff affirmed
- Parent and child – Record supported termination of mother’s parental rights
- Criminal – Man convicted of grand larceny after stealing $26,000
- Parent and child – Brothers dispute who should be their mother’s guardian
- Tort – Allegedly defamatory statements lacked the requisite “sting”
