Another fun week here at our headquarters in Washington, D. C., where a predicted large storm turned out to be mainly a bust, leaving forecasters to debate why. Here, though, are a few items that without debate are of interest:
Let’s just be clear about one thing today. Our great colleagues in Tampa may be used to hurricanes and tropical storms all the time. But for those of us in Zuckerman Spaeder’s Washington, Baltimore, and New York offices, it’s far too early to have to deal with the “remnants of Hurricane Andrea” that are passing overhead today.
Or maybe we’re just a little bummed that the Nats have fallen below .500.
In any event, there’s been a lot of interesting stuff in The Inbox – take a look below:
The judges in this one won’t be sitting in the balcony: A film editor on Walt Disney’s Muppets movie has sued the company, alleging it failed to protect her from racial and gender discrimination.
Employment agreements cross into Canada just like, uh, whatever we export to them any more: An interesting piece on a decision by a court in British Columbia, holding that an employee of both Verizon and its Canadian subsidiary was entitled to receive notice in advance of her termination under Canadian law.
Do you want a non-compete with that flat screen: Best Buy, according to the Minneapolis Star-Tribune, is expanding its use of non-compete agreements beyond the C-Suite. Under the new plan, vice-presidents who want to be eligible for the electronics retailer’s stock bonus plan will need to agree not to work for a competitor for a year after leaving the company.
“And you should see how quick he is with the collection plate”: Two former teachers at a California religious school claim in their suit against the school that they were fired for failing to provide “pastoral reference letters” and for refusing to go to spiritual counseling. They allege religious discrimination, wrongful termination, and retaliation under California law, and seek compensatory and punitive damages.
From the “unusual job requirements” department: Staying in the explosive zone of religion and the workplace, this is a great story from Courthouse News about an urban planner in Tybee Island, Georgia – a nice-looking resort town on the Georgia coast where you can rent Southern chef Paula Deen’s personal vacation home -- who alleges he was fired because he: 1) wasn’t Episcopalian – he was Mormon – and refused his supervisor’s suggestion he go to an Episcopalian church to “fit in” with the community; 2) refused her suggestion that he go drink at the local bar, Hucapoos, also to fit in; and 3) refused her suggestion that he fit in by playing bingo and other card games.
And that’s three: The excellent Blog of the Legal Times reports that Booz Allen Hamilton now faces a third gender discrimination suit by a former principal in its legal department. Carla Calobrisi says she was demoted, subject to a glass ceiling that wouldn’t allow women over forty to advance, and ultimately forced to resign; the consulting firm calls her suit “curious” because she voluntarily resigned, it claims, over two years ago.
Our Suits by Suits Inbox this week:
As we here at Suits by Suits get ready for a rare (but welcome!) three-day weekend, you might want to kick back, relax, and enjoy the week in disputes between executives and their employers. We'd say crack open a cold one for us as well, but given that it's before noon on a Friday and you're probably at work, that might not be the best advice we've ever given. On a related note: this blog does not provide legal advice or constitute an attorney-client relationship.
This week in Suits by Suits:
As a blog focused on employment issues, we’d be remiss if we didn’t at least note that the week that’s ending included May Day, which has long been known as International Workers’ Day. Although this day’s somewhat curious history includes support from Marxists, Socialists, and the Catholic Church, it really got its start after a bloody bombing and riot in Chicago’s Haymarket Square.
Fortunately for us at Suits-by-Suits, the employment disputes we deal with most – mainly executives and the companies that employ them – don’t lead to bloody confrontation, only (sometimes) litigation. Though even litigation sometimes has its moments.
Anyway, here’s what has come over that transom that has piqued our interest:
Today's super-sized Inbox covers all the recent news in suits by suits:
Here at SuitsbySuits Headquarters in Washington, the Nationals are blossoming and the fabled cherry trees are about to. Here’s what’s caught our eye between Bryce Harper’s home runs and the crowds on the National Mall:
Eric Murdock, who compiled the video showing former Rutgers’ basketball coach Mike Rice’s abusive behavior toward players, plans to sue Rutgers for wrongful termination. According to Murdock’s lawyer, Rutgers did not renew Murdock’s contract as director of player personnel after he reported Rice’s behavior to the school last summer.
Not the best negotiating strategy: Workers at a greeting card company in France have kidnapped their boss in a dispute over pay.
Non-compete agreements aren’t just for office workers: a St. Petersburg, Florida chef has been enjoined from working in any restaurant in Pinellas County because she signed one.
And in another food-type note, the U.S. Second Circuit Court of Appeals has ruled in favor of biscuit maker Stella D’Oro and against the National Labor Relations Board, overturning the NLRB’s finding that the company’s failure to provide a copy of its financial statement to an employee union was an unfair labor practice.
Grab your matzoh or Scotch cream eggs or whatever your favorite snack is this time of year and settle in for this week’s Inbox on Suits by Suits:
As the regulatory and business environments in which our clients operate grow increasingly complex, we identify and offer perspectives on significant legal developments affecting businesses, organizations, and individuals. Each post aims to address timely issues and trends by evaluating impactful decisions, sharing observations of key enforcement changes, or distilling best practices drawn from experience. InsightZS also features personal interest pieces about the impact of our legal work in our communities and about associate life at Zuckerman Spaeder.
Information provided on InsightZS should not be considered legal advice and expressed views are those of the authors alone. Readers should seek specific legal guidance before acting in any particular circumstance.
John J. Connolly
Partner
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Andrew N. Goldfarb
Partner
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Sara Alpert Lawson
Partner
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Nicholas M. DiCarlo
Associate
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