In Boston, Massachusetts, Mark Curran, who is 7 years old, has been accused of sexual harassment after he kicked an alleged bully in the groin. As a result, the boy will be sent to a new school. The boy’s mother, who asked to attend a disciplinary hearing at the school, was shocked by the claim stating that her son doesn’t know anything about sexual harassment. Curran said that he kicked the boy because he was bullying him on the school bus ride home one day. The boy’s mother is now seeking an apology and better supervision on the school bus to prevent such incidents in the future. Read Full Article

With respect to the workplace, issues of sexual harassment are governed by Title VII of the Civil Rights Act. As well as by state-level sexual harassment statutes which prohibit sexual harassment to and provide victims with a means to pursue justice. Sexual harassment can occur in one of two ways:

I. Quid pro quo harassment which can constitute a one-time occurrence or involve repeated behavior requiring a person to tolerate some form of sexual harassment in order to get a job, keep a job, get a raise or promotion, or to receive some other benefit. This harassment can come from a prospective employer, a current employer, a manager or supervisor, or a co-worker. The sex and sexual orientation of your harasser does not matter.

II. Hostile work environment which involves repeated behavior that is abusive or offensive, or that interferes or alters the victims’ ability to perform their job.  Learn More
The lawyers at Leeds Morelli and Brown, PC strive for successful judgments for their clients, including any former employees or recently fired workers who have been sexually harassed in the workplace. If you or someone you know have been faced with sexual discrimination or sexual harassment, please contact our office. Leeds Morelli & Brown, PC, 1-800-585-4658, One Old Country Road, Suite 347, Carle Place, NY, 11514-1851.

Nicole Zivich is a 24 year old cheer leading coach and Hooter’s employee who is claiming that she was terminated from her job at Tampa, Florida Estero High School. While the school gave her no reason for why she was fired, she claims it was the result of one of the parents’ of her cheerleaders who complained to the school about her job at Hooters. The school district has stated that her firing had nothing to do with her job at Hooters. Read full article

Employer retaliation constitutes any adverse action taken by an employer when an employee has filed a complaint against the employer. Different forms of retaliation include harassment or discrimination, as well as getting fired or being punished by an employer. According to the United States Department of Labor, Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 prohibits discrimination in hiring, promotion, discharge, pay, fringe benefits, job training, classification, referral, and other aspects of employment, on the basis of race, color, religion, sex or national origin. This law is enforced by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC). In addition, Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, or national origin in programs and activities that receive federal financial assistance. This law is enforced by the Civil Rights Center. See: http://www.dol.gov/dol/topic/discrimination/ethnicdisc.htm

Leeds Morelli & Brown P.C. works to achieve successful judgments that are in the best interests of their clients. If you or someone you know has been affected by employment discrimination or seeking a class action please feel free to contact Leeds, Morelli & Brown, PC at 1-800-585-4658 for a free consultation.

Blockbuster, Inc. recently agreed to pay more than $2 million to settle a lawsuit brought by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. According to the lawsuit, the video company subjected female employees to sexual harassment in 2004 and 2005 in a Gaithersburg, Maryland distribution center. In addition to sexual harassment, Blockbuster was also accused of retaliating against these women. Blockbuster was bought earlier in 2011 in a bankruptcy sale by the Dish Network Corporation. Read Full Article

It is illegal for an employer to do anything in retaliation for their actions in speaking up. It is unlawful to retaliate against an employee for opposing an illegal employment practice, or participating in any way in an investigation. It is also illegal for employers to retaliate against an employee when he/she requests for reasonable accommodation of his/her disability under the Americans with Disabilities Act, when an employee applies for medical leave under the Family and Medical Leave Act or when an employee files complaints of harassment or discrimination. Recently, the Supreme Court has ruled that the protections against discrimination and harassment, which are guaranteed under the Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA), also extend to retaliation. Retaliation claims can be dangerous because there are many ways for an employer to do something that appears to be retaliation even when it isn’t intended to be retaliation. There is also no requirement that whatever the employee complained about to begin with is actually illegal in order to prevail in an employer retaliation lawsuit. Learn more

Leeds Morelli & Brown, PC will strive to obtain the best judgments for victims of employer retaliation. If you or someone you know has been affected by employer retaliation, you are entitled to know your rights. Our firm has had considerable success in this area of law throughout Long Island and the New York City area. For more information, contact Leeds, Morelli and Brown, PC at 1-800-585-4658 for a free consultation.

Harry Morgan, the star actor from the hit show MASH, has died at 96 years old.  The actor was made famous for his role as Col. Sherman T. Potter on MASH and his role as Officer Bill Gannon on the revived version of Dragnet.  Notably, Morgan has also acted in over 100 films, such as The Ox-Bow Incident, High Noon, and Inherit the Wind.  Morgan was also married for 45 years to Eileen Detchon until she passed away in 1985.  He had three sons from his first marriage, named Christopher, Charles and Paul, as well as eight grandchildren.

According to New York Surrogate’s Courts, a valid will can transfer an interest in both personal property (e.g. bank accounts, furniture, stocks, clothing) and real property (such as real estate).  A will also allows a person to name an individual to serve as an executor of the estate and guardian over the children.  Moreover, a will can provide protection for family members (for example, trusts for adult incompetent children).  Read More

At Leeds Morelli & Brown, PC, our lawyers have experience handling all forms of probate and estate matters.  Our guardianship, surrogate, testate and intestate representations extends to clients throughout Long Island, the New York Metropolitan area, and even across the country. For more information or a free consultation, contact Leeds, Morelli and Brown, PC at 1-800-585-4658.

Wal-Mart has recently announced that planned to sell $20 billion in products from women owned businesses in the United States over the next five years. In addition, the company has stated that it would support training women in factories and farms that are Wal-Mart suppliers. It will further donate $100 million to causes that supporting women’s economic development. Finally, it plans to ask its vendors and advertising agencies to increase gender as well as minority representation on its accounts. While the US Supreme Court recently threw out a class-action based claim by women against the corporation, Wal-Mart is presently gearing up for some of the plaintiffs who will to sue the company through individual claims. See: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/09/14/business/wal-mart-to-announce-women-friendly-plans.html?_r=1&ref=discrimination

When faced with a sex discrimination claim, the plaintiff can rely on the law for recourse. The United States Department of Labor created Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 which prohibits discrimination in hiring, promotion, discharge, pay, fringe benefits, job training, classification, referral, and other aspects of employment, on the basis of race, color, religion, sex or national origin. This law is enforced by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC). In addition, Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, or national origin in programs and activities that receive federal financial assistance. See: http://www.dol.gov/dol/topic/discrimination/ethnicdisc.htm

Leeds Morelli & Brown P.C. in New York works to obtain the best judgments and settlements for its aggrieved clients. If you or someone you know has been affected by discrimination or a violation of their civil rights please feel free to contact Leeds, Morelli & Brown, PC at 1-800-585-4658 for a free consultation or view their web page at www.lmblaw.com.