Dallas Business Lawyer Blog

Office Worker Sexually Harassed By Boss Wins At Trial - Dallas, Texas

An office worker who claimed that her boss subjected her to myriad instances of sexual harassment during her five months of employment was awarded $868,000. In 2006, Lynda Beck, then 42, worked for Guardian Leasing Inc. in Houston. Beck claimed that her boss, who was the vice president, made sexually suggestive gestures with his tongue and put his hands on her. The last straw, she said, was when he fell to his knees, rubbed and sniffed her leg, and asked her, “Do you shave it?” She said she told him to “get the hell out” of her office, and she complained to the owner. Beck said she was fired after a one-day investigation. The company claimed she was fired for poor job performance. Of the award, $750,000 was for punitives.

For more information about sexual harassment, go to www.businesslawyerdallastexas.com or call 214-855-0034.

Wal-Mart Wins Sex Discrimination Lawsuit Involving Female Workers - Dallas, Texas

 

The Supreme Court ruled unanimously Monday that a huge class-action lawsuit against Wal-Mart Stores alleging sex discrimination cannot proceed, reversing a decision by the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco. The lawsuit could have involved up to 1.6 million current and former Wal-Mart employees and billions of dollars in damages.

The plaintiffs can still pursue their suit on their own, but not as a class action, the court ruled, meaning that much less money would be at stake. The court said the proposed class would be too unwieldy and diverse and that there were other problems with the way the case was filed.

For more information about sexual harassment in Texas, go to www.businesslawyerdallastexas.com or call 214-855-0034 or e-mail jonathan@theleblanclawfirm.com

 

Office Worker Sexually Harassed By Boss Wins 868K - Dallas, Texas

 

An office worker who claimed that her boss subjected her to myriad instances of sexual harassment during her five months of employment was awarded $868,000. In 2006, Lynda Beck, then 42, worked for Guardian Leasing Inc. in Houston. Beck claimed that her boss, who was the vice president, made sexually suggestive gestures with his tongue and put his hands on her. The last straw, she said, was when he fell to his knees, rubbed and sniffed her leg, and asked her, "Do you shave it?" She said she told him to "get the hell out" of her office, and she complained to the owner. Beck said she was fired after a one-day investigation. The company claimed she was fired for poor job performance. Of the award, $750,000 was for punitives.

For more information about sexual harassment, go to www.businesslawyerdallastexas.com or call 214-855-0034.

Worker Sexually Harassed By Boss Wins At Trial In Texas - Dallas, Texas

 

An office worker who claimed that her boss subjected her to myriad instances of sexual harassment during her five months of employment was awarded $868,000. In 2006, Lynda Beck, then 42, worked for Guardian Leasing Inc. in Houston. Beck claimed that her boss, who was the vice president, made sexually suggestive gestures with his tongue and put his hands on her. The last straw, she said, was when he fell to his knees, rubbed and sniffed her leg, and asked her, "Do you shave it?" She said she told him to "get the hell out" of her office, and she complained to the owner. Beck said she was fired after a one-day investigation. The company claimed she was fired for poor job performance. Of the award, $750,000 was for punitives.

For more information, go to www.businesslawyerdallastexas.com or call 214-855-0034. 

Employee Wins Sexual Harassment Suit Against Minister Boss

 

A former assistant to an evangelical minister who claimed that he performed oral sex on him under threat of termination was awarded $5 million. Augusto Medina claimed that the Rev. Ike Eikerenkoetter also grabbed his crotch while he was giving him a massage, which was one of his job duties along with being his chauffeur and washing his windows. At trial, Medina presented his clothing with Eikerenkoetter's semen on it. The award included $1 million in punitive damages.

Personal Assistant Wins Sexual Harassment Suit Against Minister Boss

 

A former assistant to an evangelical minister who claimed that he performed oral sex on him under threat of termination was awarded $5 million. Augusto Medina claimed that the Rev. Ike Eikerenkoetter also grabbed his crotch while he was giving him a massage, which was one of his job duties along with being his chauffeur and washing his windows. At trial, Medina presented his clothing with Eikerenkoetter's semen on it. The award included $1 million in punitive damages.

Sexual Harassment Suit Settles For 60K

On Sept. 11, a company agreed to pay $60,000 to settle claims that it had a fired a female employee because she had complained about sexual harassment and gender discrimination.

In 2008, Luanda Puente lost her job as a laborer with Greater Metroplex Interiors Inc. after she complained numerous times about her co-workers' behavior. She claimed male co-workers made sexually explicit remarks to her for the duration of her employment and exposed her to sexually explicit graffiti.

She also alleged that at least one job site had portable toilets with urinals outside.

Following her termination, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission sued Greater Metroplex on Puente's behalf.

Greater Metroplex argued that it did all it could to address Puente's concerns, noting that it didn’t have control over the toilets at that site. It also contended that Puente didn’t complain about harassment until after she was fired.

 

Texas DPS Director Resigns After Allegations of Sexual Harassment

 

The head of the Department of Public Safety resigned Monday after allegations of sexual harassment and unprofessional conduct.

The DPS released an e-mail, dated last Thursday, in which a supervising female officer outlined her complaints about Col. Stanley E. Clark to an assistant director. The female department manager also conveyed complaints that she had received about the colonel's conduct from two of her workers.

The e-mail stated that Clark openly blew kisses to one of the women as she walked across a parking lot. The same woman had reported to her supervisor that she felt uncomfortable because Clark would call her into his office on what she believed were pretexts and ask her to sit and stay even as he accepted phone calls.

Another worker complained that the colonel would hug and kiss her while she was in uniform and that she had witnessed him doing this to others.

The supervising officer also said she had experienced "inappropriate comments and what I consider inappropriate acts (rubbing my ear, touching my waist, etc.)" All the complainants' names were redacted from documents released by DPS.

Clark declined to comment on the allegations, said DPS spokeswoman Tela Mange.

Woman at Dallas Fire-Rescue Files Sexual Harassment Complaint

 

The highest-ranking civilian woman at Dallas Fire-Rescue is alleging that she was demoted recently after complaining about lewd e-mails and sexual harassment from higher-ups.

Leanne Siri filed a federal complaint with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission on Friday.

Attorney Aaron Ramirez is representing another woman at DFR who sued saying a superior "...would loudly carry on all sorts of graphic and inappropriate sexual conversations with anyone who would listen."

"I don't think it's isolated at all,” said Ramirez. “We have three clients currently right now. I know there's a fourth one that came out yesterday. We've talked to at least five or six other women."

Ramirez said another female firefighter he represents filed an EEOC complaint alleging men urinated on her bedding and placed straight pins in it.

The city attorney told WFAA-TV his office wouldn't address any pending cases.

The Texas Workforce Commission, the state agency that receives and investigates employment complaints, said it got 297 complaints last year - almost six out of every seven days in 2008. That's the highest number of reports in five years.

The city has hired retained a private attorney and is considering an independent investigation, said Dr. Elba Garcia, Dallas City councilwoman.

"I think that it's a good idea,” she said. “Whenever you have a lawsuit of this kind I think it's good to have a totally impartial review."