We previously wrote about our $1.2 million jury verdict in federal court in North Dakota on behalf of a physician who was terminated after he spoke out against his clinic’s discriminatory treatment of a colleague.  The Court has since ruled on both parties’ post-trial motions, and ultimately raised the award to $2.1 million.

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Bloomington police officers on duty at the Mall of America thought that Michael Jointer, an African American male, was someone else. They thought that he was another African American male named Leon Combs, who was on trespass at the mall. So they stopped Jointer and asked for his ID. (more…)

Aaron Benner started teaching at St. Paul Public Schools in 1995 and earned immediate praise for his outstanding results and devotion to students.  He earned tenure in 1999 and was nominated for Minnesota Teacher of the Year in 2005.  He was the only black male teacher at Johnson Elementary during the 2014-15 school year.

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Mark Henderson was a hostage held at gunpoint in a room at the Woodbury Red Roof Inn on August 30, 2012.  He fled the room and approached Woodbury police officers with his hands raised.  He complied with their commands to get on the ground.  As he lay unarmed in a prone position approximately 10-12 feet in front of them, the officers shouted conflicting and contradictory commands that even they couldn’t hear or understand.  Within seconds, they opened fire and killed him.

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Dr. Robert Roswick worked as a family practice physician at Mid Dakota Clinic in Bismarck, North Dakota.  He felt that Mid Dakota’s CEO and Board of Directors were racially discriminating against an Indian-American colleague of his by pushing forward with termination without allowing the colleague the same due process rights afforded to other shareholders at the Clinic.

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If you’re in a position where your employer isn’t paying you the wages or commissions that you’re due, I’m sorry.  That’s frustrating, and wrong.  You probably depend on your wages and commissions to make a living and bills don’t take a break because your employer won’t pay.

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First of all – if you’ve just been terminated or laid off from your job and you’re looking for answers – we’re sorry that you’re going through this experience. In our country, we often identify with our jobs as part of who we are: losing a job can feel like losing part of your identity. Especially if you’ve given years of your life to a company, built relationships and friendships with your coworkers, and enjoy the work, losing a job can be devastating. On top of that, you’ve likely got more immediate concerns about how you’re going to pay the bills after losing your job and continue to support yourself and your family. We’re truly and sincerely sorry that you’re dealing with this. And I hope this article can help provide some answers.

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Workplace Fairness Law in Minnesota – the Basics.

Here’s a quick primer on workplace fairness in Minnesota.  Unfortunately, there’s no state or federal law mandating “fairness” at work.  There’s no law saying that employers need to hire good bosses or kind employees, or that employers need to make good business decisions.  So the bad news is that your employer doesn’t have to be “fair” to you.

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If you need a New York employment lawyer, please call my friend and former classmate, Alex Granovsky.

The Law on Workplace Harassment in Minneapolis.

Workplace harassment and bullying t is on the rise, unfortunately.  If you’re an employee who’s just trying to go to work every day and do your best for the company and your family, you don’t have to put up with bullying.  It’s unfair, wrong, and many times, illegal.

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Commissioned salesmen and saleswomen can’t be terminated without good cause and notice.

If you’re a salesperson working on commission in Minnesota, you’ve got rights.  First, a manufacturer can’t terminate your sales representative agreement unless it has “good cause.”  Good cause basically means that the manufacturer has gone bankrupt, you’ve been convicted of a crime relating to the business, or you’ve abandoned your job.

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What if my employer lied to me or made false statements to get me to take a job?

If you relied on your employer’s representations and either moved somewhere within Minnesota to take the job – or moved from out of the state to Minnesota to take the job – and the employer’s representations were false, then you’ve got a potential lawsuit against the company for fraudulent inducement: false statements as inducement to entering employment.

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Sometimes doctors and dentists sexually harass nurses or technicians.

Even professionals – like lawyers, physicians, and dentists – are capable of sexual harassment.  In fact, sometimes the power differential in those professions between the professionals and their staff helps create an environment ripe for sexual harassment – in spite of the professionals’ high education.

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A Minor Cannot Consent to Sex.

Minors under the age of 18 can’t consent to sex with adults under Minnesota state law.  An adult over the age of 22 who has sex with someone younger than 18 has engaged in statutory rape.  That includes police officers: police officers and law enforcement officials may not have sex with women under the age of 18.

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Minneapolis Employees Don’t Have to Be Bullied at Work.

Workplace bullying and harassment is on the rise, unfortunately.  If you’re an employee who’s just trying to go to work every day and do your best for the company and your family, you don’t have to put up with bullying.  It’s unfair, wrong, and many times, illegal.

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You Have the Right to Work Without Fear of Sexual Assault and Harassment in Minneapolis.

Federal law, Minnesota state law, and Minneapolis City Ordinance Title 7 all prohibit sexual harassment at work.  That includes hostile work environment sexual harassment and quid pro quo sexual harassment.  We’ve talked a lot about those claims – you can click here and here to learn more about them.

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We Represent Minneapolis Employees.

Corporations and big businesses will always be able to pay corporate lawyers to defend them.  For most corporations, paying hourly rates of $400 – $500 to attorneys to litigate their cases is no big deal.  And – there’s no shortage of corporate law firms willing to accept the money and do their bidding.

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Wrongful Termination in Minneapolis

Minnesota is an “at-will” employment state and Minneapolis is an “at will” employment city. That means that your employer can fire you for any reason or no reason at all – even a stupid, incorrect, unfair, or unethical reason – provided that it’s not an illegal reason.

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Last week, Madia Law secured a complete plaintiffs’ victory in an age discrimination employment lawsuit against the City of Richfield, Minnesota. The Hennepin County jury found that unlawful age discrimination was a motivating factor when the City declined to promote two veteran police officers in 2013.

The jury ordered the City to pay a total of $125,000 to Madia Law clients Greg Peterson and Souphanny Dean. The total award includes $25,000 in punitive damages for each officer, which is the statutory maximum that a jury can award in cases arising under the Minnesota Human Rights Act.

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