Employment Law: Wrongful Termination — Headline Victory
Yasuko Ishikawa: Misconduct by Drug Lab. In a case that received national publicity, including an NBC interview with Ms. Ishikawa and Greg Kafoury, a flight attendant was fired by airline for turning in an altered sample during a drug test. The trial exposed wrongdoing at the drug lab, and she was vindicated. Verdict: $400,000.
Employment Law: Sexual Harassment — Headline Victory
In a drama that provided a cover story for the October 29, 1997 Willamette Week, Frederic Canovas, Ph.D., a visiting professor at Reed College, filed an internal complaint against his superior, the head of the French Department, alleging that the man had sexually harassed him. While a faculty committee was gathering evidence in order to reach a decision on Canovas’ complaint, the college administration announced that the college had granted a highly prestigious award to Canovas’ opponent. We sued Reed College, alleging, among other things, breach of contract for interfering in the grievance process. The case settled days before trial, and this successful outcome helped enable Canovas to continue his academic career. Today, he is a highly successful professor at Arizona State University.
Employment Law: Whistleblowing — Headline Victory
Pamela Settlegoode: Verdict: $1,000,000. Pamela Settlegoode was fired from her teaching job in Portland in retaliation for having criticized the district’s treatment of students with serious disabilities. Like many whistleblowers, she sacrificed her career in order to bring the truth to light.