Lawsuit

Tribe Didn’t Waive Sovereign Immunity in FMLA Lawsuit

A California Indian tribe may be immune from a Family and Medical Leave Act lawsuit by a fired employee even though it acted to move the lawsuit to federal court, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit ruled (Bodi v. Shingle Springs Band of Miwok Indians, 2016 BL 255421, 9th Cir., No. 14-16121, 8/8/16 ). With the decision, two federal appeals courts now have …


First Lawsuit Filed Over Leaning Tower of SF

The result is a “diminution in value” of all the units in the building at 301 Mission St., said the lead law firm in the case, Foreman and Brasso of San Francisco. The lawsuit was filed eight days after we revealed that the Millennium Tower has sunk 16 inches and has tilted at the base by at least two inches. A geotechnical engnineer hired by the condo tower’s homeowners association …


St. Paul’s School Responds to Lawsuit Filed by Assault Victim’s Parents

Owen Labrie was convicted of sexual assault in a case that his lawyers said exposed a sordid tradition at the elite boarding school. The girl’s parents, identified in the lawsuit as John and Jane Doe, allege in the lawsuit that school officials who were trusted with protecting their daughter failed to keep her safe by turning a blind eye to a tradition known as the Senior Salute. The victim, …


Lawsuit: Low Juror Pay Means More White, Upper-Income Juries in King County

King County’s paltry pay for people serving on jury duty discriminates against low-income residents, namely those of color, according to a class-action lawsuit filed Monday. For defendants to be tried by a jury of their true peers, the lawsuit argues, all residents must have the chance to serve as a juror without sacrificing income.


PGV Sued for Gas Leak; Class Action Lawsuit Seeks Compensation for Hydrogen Sulfide Exposure

A class action lawsuit was filed last week against Puna Geothermal Venture over its gas release two years ago during Tropical Storm Iselle. Six plaintiffs — George Douvris, Stephanie Douvris, Michael Hale, Cheryl Carocci, Hillary Wilt and Christina Bryan — filed the lawsuit Friday in Hilo Circuit Court on behalf of themselves and other lower Puna residents impacted by the release, that included …


13 St Louis-Area Municipalities Sued Over Alleged Discriminatory ‘Debtors’ Prisons’

A class-action civil rights lawsuit filed late Tuesday alleges that more than a dozen St Louis-area municipalities are engaged in the discriminatory and unconstitutional practice of jailing people for unpaid debts in order to raise state revenue, a situation the suit says amounts to a system of modern-day “debtors’ prisons” that primarily affects poor residents of color. The suit alleges a …


Did Ed Sheeran Copy Marvin Gaye’s Let’s Get It On? Singer Faces New Copyright Battle

The lawsuit, which asks for damages to be assessed at a jury trial, argues that the harmonic progressions, melodic and rhythmic elements central to “Let’s Get It On” formed the structure of Sheeran’s Thinking Out Loud. “The Defendants copied the ‘heart’ of ‘Let’s’ and repeated it continuously throughout ‘Thinking,'” the lawsuit said. “The melodic, harmonic, and rhythmic compositions of …


Chipotle Shareholder Lawsuit Blames Executives for Failing to Prevent Widespread Illnesses

A federal lawsuit filed by shareholders of Denver-based Chipotle Mexican Grill accuses company executives of failing to establish quality-control and emergency-response measures to prevent and then stop food-borne illnesses that sickened customers across the country and proved costly to the company. The complaint filed Monday in U.S. District Court in Denver on behalf of plaintiff Sean Gubricky …


Judge to Consider KU’s Motion to Dismiss Lawsuit Related to Alleged Sexual Assaults at KU

A Douglas County judge is considering a motion from the University of Kansas to dismiss a lawsuit that claims the university misled the public by presenting campus housing as safe. The lawsuit stems from two women, both former KU rowers, who said they were raped in university housing — Jayhawker Towers — by the same man, also a student athlete. The man had played football for the university, …


Businessman William Parfet Will Contest Sexual Harassment Lawsuit

An attorney for William U. Parfet says the Kalamazoo businessman plans to contest a sexual harassment and wrongful discharge lawsuit filed against him in federal court. “Mr. Parfet will be presenting a vigorous defense to this lawsuit,” attorney Nancy Abell said when asked by the Kalamazoo Gazette about the lawsuit. Parfet, an heir to Upjohn Co. founder W.E.