$395,000 Terminated.com Lawyers obtained more than $395,000 in a lawsuit alleging retaliation for whistleblowing. For example, if an employer discovered that an employee was making jokes about another person in front of their peers, this would often mean that the employer would be liable for firing the employee. To be eligible for an award, you must file a Form TCR within 30 days of submitting your information or within 30 days of learning of the TCR filing requirement. Following the incident, the patient filed a complaint against LabCorp for failing to accommodate his disability during his visit. Landlord Settles Alienage Status Discrimination Case for $15,000 in Civil Penalties and Affirmative ReliefThe Commission filed a Commission-initiated complaint against a landlord alleging citizenship status discrimination for sending a series of harassing e-mails to a potential tenant regarding their citizenship status, followed by e-mails to one of their bosses seeking to have them removed from the country. Additionally, a representative from Respondents board of directors will attend a training on the NYC Human Rights Law. 2020 Settlement Highlights - CCHR - New York City The Commission and Respondents reached a settlement agreement that required them to pay $10,000 in civil penalties; make changes to ensure their policies were compliant with the source of income provisions of the Law; attend training; send notices about the Law to Respondents agents; and post notices of rights in the buildings they own throughout New York City. From Settlement Disclosures to Retaliation: A Summary of Sexual Securitas Security Services Settles Disability Discrimination Case by Paying $15,000 in Backpay, Damages, and Penalties; Agrees to Training, Policy Revisions, and PostingsComplainant filed a disability discrimination complaint against Securitas Security Services alleging a failure to accommodate her disability, constructively terminating her employment, and retaliating against her based on her disability. Through the parties conciliation, Respondents agreed to pay Complainant $80,000 in back pay and $20,000 in emotional distress damages; conduct anti-discrimination training, including a focus on NYC Human Rights Law protections for religious accommodations; and post the Commission's Notice of Rights poster. Touro agreed to pay $45,000.00 in emotional distress damages, $20,000.00 in civil penalties, and $4,914.00 in back pay. If you are looking to file a lawsuit, you must first know whether your . Respondent Dalton also agreed to ensure its policies regarding tenant screening and reasonable accommodations are in compliance with the NYC Human Rights Law, to provide training to its employees, and to display postings outlining its obligations under the NYC Human Rights Law. Justice Department Settles Sexual Harassment and Retaliation Lawsuit Such an agreement may violate the federal securities laws. Cosmopolitan Club Agrees to Gender-Neutral Admissions and Dress Policies After receiving credible information that The Cosmopolitan Club (the Club), a members-only, full-service club on the Upper East Side had different admissions and dress policies for men and women, the Commission sent a document demand seeking more information. Incident(s) Terms. Required fields are marked *. As part of the conciliation, LabCorp agreed to create an accommodation policy for both visitors and employees, to distribute the accommodation policy to all staff, and to train its New York City staff on the new policy. Blog. Aarons Inc. Settles Fair Chance Act Violations for $40,000 in Civil Penalties, Implements Ban the Box Policies NationwideTesting conducted by the Commission revealed that Aarons Inc., a lease-to-own retailer, advertised positions in New York City with the following unlawful language included in its job postings, A drug screen and criminal background investigation is required and an online employment application form requiring applicants to allow Respondent to conduct a criminal background check and credit history check. Landlord and Property Manager of a Queens Building Agree To Settle Disability Discrimination Matter in Pre-Complaint InterventionComplainant alleged that his landlord and property manager failed to accommodate him and other tenants with disabilities by refusing to install a wheelchair-accessible ramp at the main entrance of the building he resides in, preventing him from entering or exiting the building and accessing the buildings elevator. Respondents will attend NYC Human Rights Law training, create employment policies in compliance with the NYC Human Rights Law, and post the Commissions Stop Sexual Harassment in NYC Act Notice, Notice of Rights poster, and Pregnancy Discrimination in Employment Notice. The YMCA of Greater New York Updates Health Care Plans to Include Gender-Affirming CareThe Commission launched an investigation into the YMCA of Greater New York (YNY) after receiving a tip that the organizations self-insured health care plans excluded gender-affirming care, possibly discriminating against transgender and gender non-conforming employees in violation of the NYC Human Right Law. The Retaliation Complaint Investigation Unit (RCI) investigates workplace retaliation complaints. Retaliation is the most frequently alleged basis of discrimination in the federal sector and the most common discrimination finding in federal sector cases. Receipts that included a claim for retaliation decreased by 10.4%. Retaliation lawsuits are filed by people who believe they have been the victim of discrimination in the workplace. Respondent LaGuardia Gateway Partners (LGP), which manages the Terminal B area, agreed to pay $4,000 in emotional distress damages to Complainant for this incident. This means that if you are a whistleblower who has reported a possible securities law violation to the Commission in writing and believe you have been retaliated against because of your report, you may be able to sue your employer in federal court and seek double back pay (with interest), reinstatement, reasonable attorneys fees, and reimbursement for certain costs in connection with the litigation. The Commission and the parties entered into a conciliation agreement requiring Respondents to pay Complainant $15,000 in emotional distress damages, pay $1,500 in civil penalties to the City of New York, train its employees on the NYC Human Rights Law protections in housing, create an anti-discrimination policy, post the Commissions Fair Housing poster, distribute the Commissions Fair Housing brochure, and submit to monitoring for a period of two years. The Academy will also post the Commissions Notice of Rights and natural hair posters along with its new policy, and a member of its management will attend training at the Commission. InDinero, Inc. Agrees to Pay $65,000 in Damages, Penalties, and Attorneys Fees After Job Applicant was Denied a Position Because of His Criminal HistoryA prospective employee filed a complaint against InDinero, Inc., an accounting software and services company, alleging that Respondent had offered him a job, then suddenly withdrew the offer based on his criminal history. CFM will also post the Commissions Notice of Rights, Single-Sex Facilities Notice, and Pink and Blue campaign posters at its Bronx location, and a member of its management will attend training at the Commission. Landlord Agrees To Settle Emotional Support Animal, Disability Discrimination and Retaliation Case for $55,000, Training, Creation of a Reasonable Accommodation Policy, and PostingsLandlord EK 3 LLC, imposed a conditional lease rider containing unlawful terms when it approved Complainants reasonable accommodation request for an emotional support animal, and revoked their offer to extend Complainants lease for another term. Colonial Road Associates LLC and Rosario Parlanti Agrees to Pay $10,000 in Civil Penalties and to Set Aside Units for Voucher HoldersIn a Commission-initiated case, Respondents, who are landlords, were found to have refused a Section 8 voucher holder in violation of the New York City Human Rights Law. Pending Cases Currently Under Investigation at Elementary - ed The investigation found that the restaurant owner made one Complainant show the medical device affixed to her body in public and after doing so, denied Complainants service on the basis of one Complainants disability and her service animal. MMPS of New York paid the Complainant $7,822.87 in back pay, $22,177.13 in emotional distress damages, and $10,000 in civil penalties. After this is decided, the lawsuit itself will follow. Pano Dion Corp., d/b/a Milkflower Settles Disability, Service Animal Case for $11,000 in Emotional Distress DamagesComplainants attempted to dine at Milkflower, a restaurant in Astoria, Queens, when they were denied entry due to the presence of a service animal. The Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), 29 U.S.C. Respondent claimed that other job options were very limited, and that Complainant never recovered from her injuries sufficiently to perform the essential functions of any job. EEOC Releases Fiscal Year 2020 Enforcement and Litigation Data What Possible Damages Could Be Awarded to You After a Motorcycle Accident? 3-16466 (April 1, 2015), Activision Blizzard to Pay $35 Million for Failing to Maintain Disclosure Controls Related to Complaints of Workplace Misconduct and Violating Whistleblower Protection Rule (2/3/23), SEC Charges the Brink's Company with Violating Whistleblower Protection Rule (6/22/22), SEC Charges Co-Founder of Technology Company for Violating Whistleblower Protection Rule (4/12/22), SEC Charges Broker-Dealer for Violating Whistleblower Protection Rule (6/23/21), SEC Charges Investment Adviser and Others With Defrauding Over 17,000 Retail Investors (2/4/2021), SEC Charges Issuer and CEO with Violating Whistleblower Protection Laws to Silence Investor Complaints (11/4/2019), Connecticut Broker and Investment Adviser Convicted On 21 Counts of Fraud and Money Laundering (6/10/2019), Financial Company Charged with Improper Accounting and Impeding Whistleblowers (1/19/17), Blackrock Charged with Removing Whistleblower Incentives in Separation Agreements (1/17/17), Company Settles Charges in Whistleblower Retaliation Case (12/20/16), Company Violated Rule Aimed at Protecting Potential Whistleblowers (12/19/16), Risk Alert: Examining Whistleblower Rule Compliance (10/24/2016), SEC: Casino-Gaming Company Retaliated Against Whistleblower (9/29/16), SEC Charges Anheuser-Busch InBev With Violating FCPA and Whistleblower Protection Laws (9/28/16), Company Punished for Severance Agreements That Removed Financial Incentives for Whistleblowing (8/16/16), Company Paying Penalty for Violating Key Whistleblower Protection Rule (8/10/16), Merrill Lynch to Pay $415 Million for Misusing Customer Cash and Putting Customer Securities at Risk (6/23/16), SEC Announces Award to Whistleblower in First Retaliation Case (4/28/15), SEC: Companies Cannot Stifle Whistleblowers in Confidentiality Agreements (4/1/15), SEC Charges Hedge Fund Adviser With Conducting Conflicted Transactions and Retaliating Against Whistleblower (6/16/14), Statement on Court Filing by SEC to Protect Whistleblowers From Retaliation (2/20/14), STAY CONNECTED Through its investigation, the Commissions Law Enforcement Bureau discovered evidence to support Complainants allegations. The Commissions Law Enforcement Bureau conducted an investigation and concluded that there was probable cause to credit the complainants allegations that Respondents unlawfully inquired into his criminal history prior to a conditional offer of employment. Retaliation | U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission - US EEOC Respondent LGP further agreed to provide the Commissions Law Enforcement Bureau with its draft employee handbook for review and provide the Commission with confirmation that it had completed annual sexual harassment prevention training that complies with the NYC Human Rights Law. Broker Pays Damages for Discriminating Against a Complainants Lawful Source of IncomeA small broker, Vanguard Residential LLC, discriminated against a Complainant because she was seeking to use a housing voucher while applying for apartments. Reduction in pay or hours. If you are successful in court, you may be entitled to reinstatement, double back pay, litigation costs, expert witness fees, and attorneys fees. For example, in the past, sometimes lawsuits arise out of someone being offended by another individual. Respondents also agreed to update their sexual harassment policy and training, post and distribute the Commission's Stop Sexual Harassment Act Notice and Fact Sheet and ensure that all of its employees complete the Commissions sexual harassment prevention training. Crunch Fitness Pays $60,000 in Damages and Penalties and Changes National Hiring Policy To Settle Two Fair Chance Act CasesCrunch LLC (Crunch), the company that runs the national gym chain Crunch Fitness, has agreed to settle two cases filed by personal trainers who were rejected because of their criminal histories. However, none of the lawsuits filed in January were publicized. Complainant responded that he was engaged. 6LinkedIn 8 Email Updates, Protections Against Actions Taken to Impede Reporting, Department of Labors whistleblower website, In the Matter of International Game Technology, In the Matter of Paradigm Capital Management, Inc. and Candace King Weir. Revenues; Expenses; Assets; Liabilities; Revenues FYE 12/2020 FYE 12/2019 % Change; Total grants, contributions, etc . Brooklyn-based Property Management Company and Vice President Pay $94,000 in Damages and Penalties in Sexual Harassment CaseComplainant, who was employed as an office assistant by a property management firm for two and a half months, filed a complaint alleging that after she was hired, she was sexually harassed by a vice president, facing repeated unwanted romantic and sexual advances. Software People, Inc. Settles EEOC Retaliation Lawsuit U.S. At the time, Complainant was a homeless mother. The Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act expanded the protections for whistleblowers and broadened the prohibitions against retaliation. Area. Respondents also agreed to one year of monitoring by the Commission. Colony East 5th Realty LLC Pays $39,000, and Installs Ramp To Settle Disability Discrimination ComplaintComplainant alleged that her landlord, Colony East 5th Realty LLC, failed to accommodate her disability by failing to construct a ramp at her apartment buildings main entrance. The Commission, the Complainant and Respondent entered into an agreement for Respondent to pay Complainant $5,000 in emotional distress and a civil penalty of $7,500. Employer, 1199 SEIU Child Care Fund, Pays $31,500 in Damages and Civil Penalties To Resolve Gender-Based Harassment ClaimsComplainant, an employee of a labor union fund, filed a complaint alleging that her supervisor subjected her to a gender-based hostile work environment. Touro refused to grant the accommodation and terminated Complainant. To resolve the case, Respondent agree to pay Complainant $11,000 in emotional distress damages; train its New York City employees on protections against gender discrimination under the New York City Human Rights Law; update its anti-discrimination policies; and post the Commissions Notice of Rights poster in all New York City places of business. InDinero, Inc. agreed to pay $11,666.67 in back pay, $18,333.33 in attorneys fees, $25,000 in emotional distress damages, and $10,000 in civil penalties, and to revise their hiring policies and practices. The SEC has brought a number of actions based on both retaliatory conduct as well as actions taken to impede reporting. In order to fight back against those who have perpetrated the wrong, it is essential that you have a strong defense. SEC.gov | Office of the Whistleblower The Respondents were cooperative with the Commissions process and were required to pay $7,500 in civil penalties, make changes to ensure their policies were compliant with the source of income provisions of the NYC Human Rights Law, attend training on the NYC Human Rights Law, send notices about the source of income protections under the NYC Human Rights Law to Respondents brokers and agents, and post notices of rights in their building. Landlord Pays $5,000 in Damages in Source of Income Discrimination CaseA complainant alleging source of income discrimination based on his attempt to use his HASA voucher brought a complaint against 639 Realty LLC and Affordable Housing Real Estate Corp. The landlord and management, Moshe Piller, 8750 Bay Parkway, LLC, and MP Management, LLC, then constructed internal and external ramps, compliant with the American National Standards Institute code. The monkey figurine from the collection evoked images of Sambo, a caricature that, over generations, has been used to mock and dehumanize Black people. Damages usually consist of back wages, overtime pay etc., which fall to the employer to pay, not the insurance company. 3-17736 (December 19, 2016), In the Matter of Anheuser-Busch InBev SA/NV, File No. Complainant, a transgender man, was traveling through Terminal B at LaGuardia Airport and attempted to use the mens bathroom when a janitor stopped Complainant and directed Complainant to the family bathroom. Respondent NYC Parks agreed to pay $25,000 in emotional distress damages and to pre-certify her to be hired for the next available NYC Parks job for which she qualifies in one of two boroughs. Touro College Pays $69,914.00 for Failing To Provide a Reasonable Accommodation to Employee with DisabilityComplainant sought a schedule adjustment from her employer, Touro College, related to her disability. To settle the case, Respondents Mulberry and Alpha each paid a civil penalty of $1,000 to the City of New York, and Respondent Alpha also paid $2,000 to the Complainant for emotional distress. Enforcement Actions Based on Retaliatory Conduct, SEC v. GPB Capital Holdings, LLC, et al.,21-cv-00583 (E.D.N.Y., filed February 4, 2021), In the Matter of SandRidge Energy, Inc., File No. Respondents Pay $15,000 in Emotional Distress Damages and Agree to Bring Complainants Account Balance to Zero in Source of Income Discrimination CaseComplainant, a Section 8 recipient, filed a Complainant alleging that her landlord refused to allow her to begin using her Section 8 voucher after she became eligible for the voucher during her tenancy. Tex. The Commissions Law Enforcement Bureau issued a probable cause determination, and Respondents agreed to pay $55,000 in emotional distress damages to Complainant. MSKCC paid $65,000 in emotional distress damages to Complainant, $35,000 in civil penalties to the City of New York, and agreed to train its human resources personnel and managers on the NYC Human Rights Law. Following the Law Enforcement Bureaus investigation, the Commission, Complainant, and Prada entered into a conciliation agreement requiring Prada to ensure that its New York City employees and certain Milan-based executives receive racial equity training and training on the New York City Human Rights Law; develop a scholarship program for people historically underrepresented in fashion; appoint a senior, director-level diversity and inclusion officer who will review Pradas advertising and products sold in the United States, as well as review and monitor Pradas anti-discrimination policies; maintain Pradas Diversity and Inclusion Council, launched by Prada in February of 2019, with a minimum of three to five members for a period of at least six years, with regular reporting by Prada on the councils progress to the Commission; and commit to increasing the diversity of its staff; and submit to two years of monitoring by the Commission. Regardless of whether the Dodd-Frank anti-retaliation protections extend to you, you may remain eligible for an award under our whistleblower award program. The Commission found probable cause and referred the matter to the Office of Administrative Trials and Hearings, where the parties came to a settlement agreement. Despite the sign, Complainant alleged that an employee of Respondent C-Town told Complainant that there were no positions available. We encourage you to provide information about potential securities law violations to the SEC by submitting a tip. Lawsuits & Settlements | State of California - Department of Justice An investigation by the Law Enforcement Bureau confirmed that Respondent Crunch properly waited until making a conditional offer of employment to do background checks, but then failed to give Complainants individualized assessments of their criminal histories. You can find more information about the Dodd-Frank whistleblower protections, including the time period by which a whistleblower must file a private action in federal court, in Section 922 of the Dodd-Frank Act. In the Matter of Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated and Merrill Lynch Professional Clearing Corp., Activision Blizzard to Pay $35 Million for Failing to Maintain Disclosure Controls Related to Complaints of Workplace Misconduct and Violating Whistleblower Protection Rule, SEC Charges the Brink's Company with Violating Whistleblower Protection Rule, SEC Charges Co-Founder of Technology Company for Violating Whistleblower Protection Rule, SEC Charges Broker-Dealer for Violating Whistleblower Protection Rule, SEC Charges Investment Adviser and Others With Defrauding Over 17,000 Retail Investors, SEC Charges Issuer and CEO with Violating Whistleblower Protection Laws to Silence Investor Complaints, Connecticut Broker and Investment Adviser Convicted On 21 Counts of Fraud and Money Laundering, Financial Company Charged with Improper Accounting and Impeding Whistleblowers, Company Settles Charges in Whistleblower Retaliation Case, Company Violated Rule Aimed at Protecting Potential Whistleblowers, Risk Alert: Examining Whistleblower Rule Compliance, SEC: Casino-Gaming Company Retaliated Against Whistleblower, SEC Charges Anheuser-Busch InBev With Violating FCPA and Whistleblower Protection Laws, Company Punished for Severance Agreements That Removed Financial Incentives for Whistleblowing, Company Paying Penalty for Violating Key Whistleblower Protection Rule, Merrill Lynch to Pay $415 Million for Misusing Customer Cash and Putting Customer Securities at Risk, SEC Announces Award to Whistleblower in First Retaliation Case, SEC: Companies Cannot Stifle Whistleblowers in Confidentiality Agreements, SEC Charges Hedge Fund Adviser With Conducting Conflicted Transactions and Retaliating Against Whistleblower, Statement on Court Filing by SEC to Protect Whistleblowers From Retaliation, Providing information to the SEC under the whistleblower program, or, Initiating, testifying in, or assisting the SEC in any investigation or proceeding.