Former Diversity Recruiter Sues Google for Discrimination

April Curley, former diversity recruiter for Google, filed a class-action discrimination lawsuit. The class-action joins a long list of legal action from former employees ranging from sexual harassment to gender discrimination, many resulting in significant settlements.

The Case: April Curley v. Google, LLC

The Court: U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California San Jose Division

The Case No.: 4:22-cv-01735-YGR

The Plaintiff: April Curley v. Google, LLC

The plaintiff in the case, April Curley, is a former Diversity Recruiter for Google, LLC. Curley was hired to work for Google in 2014. She claims that during her six years with the tech giant she helped them hire 500 students from historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs). In March, Curley filed a class-action lawsuit in a California federal court alleging that Black employees at Google were told they didn’t get the corporate “culture,” they weren’t “googly” enough, and were often pigeon-holed into jobs with no chance for advancement, less visibility, deficient pay, etc. Curley also claims that black employees often received harsher job reviews, were given tougher interview questions, and were always asked to show their badge or other proof of employment. In response to the inconsistencies between her work as a Diversity Recruiter and actual business practices she alleges she saw in force at Google, Curley was very clear with her leadership about what needed to be changed. Instead of rewarding her for being proactive, Curley claims the company retaliated against her by subjecting her to policies and behaviors that she alleges were blatantly racist and biased. Curley claims they were both degrading and emotionally damaging. In 2020, Curley was terminated. Now she’s suing the company for systemic discrimination.

The Defendant: April Curley v. Google, LLC

The Defendant in the case, Google, LLC, is a tech giant that has faced a long string of legal battles with discrimination claims ranging from age discrimination to pregnancy discrimination. In April Curley v. Google, LLC, the company faces accusations of racial discrimination from one of their former Diversity Recruiters, April Curley.

Details of the Case: April Curley v. Google, LLC

Curley claims that during her time at the company, her white managers told her the way she speaks is a disability that should be disclosed to partners internally and externally before she conducts any meetings. She also claims that leadership at Google told her she was intimidating and unwelcoming so she was never considered for leadership positions. (The same woman who advised Curley of this also advised her that Google couldn’t afford her promotion). The Curley v. Google, LLC lawsuit seeks a court injunction to change policy and obtain back pay for Curley and other black employees allegedly denied promotion opportunities. Parties in the case are scheduled to be back in court on July 11th, 2022 for a Cas Management Conference.

If you have questions about California employment law or need to discuss labor law violations in the workplace, please get in touch with Blumenthal Nordrehaug Bhowmik DeBlouw LLP. Experienced employment law attorneys are ready to assist you in various law firm offices located in San Diego, San Francisco, Sacramento, Los Angeles, Riverside, and Chicago.

Classic VMS, Inc. and Collision Pro’s Inc. Face Allegations of Failing to Pay All Wages

In recent news, Classic VMS, Inc. and Collision Pro’s Inc. face a class action alleging a failure to pay all wages.

The Case: Chamberlan vs. Classic VMS, Inc. and Collision Pro’s Inc.

The Court: Yolo County Superior Court of the State of California

The Case No.: 22PSCV00242

The Plaintiff: Chamberlan vs. Classic VMS, Inc. and Collision Pro’s Inc.

According to the plaintiff in the case, Chamberlain, the defendant allegedly violated California Labor Code by failing to pay minimum wage, failing to pay overtime wages, failed to provide required meal breaks and rest periods, failed to provide accurate itemized wage statements for employees, failed to provide wages when due, and failed to reimburse employees for required business expenses (see California Labor Code Sections §§ 201, 202, 203, 204, 221, 226, 226.7, 246, 510, 512, 558, 1194, 1197, 1197.1, 1198, and 2802 for more info).

The Defendant: Chamberlan vs. Classic VMS, Inc. and Collision Pro’s Inc.

The defendant in the case is Classic VMS, Inc. and Collision Pro’s Inc. The company operates and conducts business in the state of California, Yolo County. Classic VMS, Inc. and Collision Pro’s Inc were joint employers of Chamberlan according to contracts signed by parties involved. As such, the parties are jointly responsible for any allegations.

More Details of the Case: Chamberlan vs. Classic VMS, Inc. and Collision Pro’s Inc.

Due to rigorous work schedules, Classic VMS and Collision Pro's employees allegedly couldn’t take off duty meal breaks and were not fully relieved of duty during their “off duty” meal periods. The Chamberlan vs. Classic VMS, Inc. and Collision Pro’s Inc. lawsuit alleges employees were sometimes interrupted during their off-duty meal breaks and required to complete tasks for their employer. Allegations indicate that employees were required to work over 5 hours without an off-duty meal break (as is required by law). Additionally, allegations indicate that when employees worked ten hours of work their employer did not provide them with the second off-duty meal period required by law. The Defendants’ policy allegedly kept employees on-call and on-duty during their off-duty breaks. The policy resulted in employees regularly forfeiting meal breaks without receiving compensation as required by law. Plaintiffs allege that the Defendants’ strict corporate policy and practice caused them to regularly forfeit meal breaks with no additional compensation. The class-action lawsuit, Chamberlan vs. Classic VMS, Inc. and Collision Pro’s Inc., is currently pending in the Yolo County Superior Court of the State of California.

If you have questions about California employment law or need to discuss how to file a California wage and hour lawsuit, please get in touch with Blumenthal Nordrehaug Bhowmik DeBlouw LLP. Experienced employment law attorneys are ready to assist you in various law firm offices located in San Diego, San Francisco, Sacramento, Los Angeles, and Riverside.

Metro Air Service Inc. Allegedly Failed to Pay Sick Pay Wages

A recent lawsuit alleges that Metro Air Service Inc. failed to pay sick pay wages.

The Case: Gomez v. Metro Airservice Inc.

The Court: Los Angeles County Superior Court of the State of California

The Case No.: 22STCV14964

The Plaintiff: Gomez v. Metro Airservice Inc.

The plaintiff in the case alleges multiple labor code violations. The plaintiff in the suit was employed by Metro Airservice Inc. in California from April 15, 2021 to May 13, 2021. At all times during his employment, the plaintiff was classified as a non-exempt employee, paid on an hourly basis, and entitled to the legally required meal and rest periods and payment of minimum and overtime wages due time employees worked.

The Defendant: Gomez v. Metro Airservice Inc.

The defendant in the case, Metro Airservice Inc., faces allegations of labor law violations. Metro Airservice Inc. is a corporation that conducts substantial business in the state of California as an air services provider.

Case Details: Gomez v. Metro Airservice Inc.

The Gomez v. Metro Airservice Inc. case alleges that Metro Service Inc. failed to pay minimum wages, failed to pay overtime pay, failed to provide legally required meal breaks and rest periods, failed to provide accurate itemized wage statements, failed to reimburse employees for required expenses, failed to provide employees with wages when due, and failed to pay employees sick page wages (under applicable Labor Code sections §§ 201, 202, 203, 204, 226, 226.7, 233, 246, 510, 512, 1194, 1197, 1197.1, 1198, 2802 and the applicable Wage Order(s)). The allegations give rise to civil penalties. In addition, the lawsuit alleges that Metro Airservice Inc. underpaid sick pay wages.

If you have questions about California employment law or need to file a California class-action lawsuit, please get in touch with Blumenthal Nordrehaug Bhowmik DeBlouw LLP. Experienced employment law attorneys are ready to assist you in various law firm offices located in San Diego, San Francisco, Sacramento, Los Angeles, Riverside, and Chicago.

Titan Workforce Faces Class Action Wage and Hour Lawsuit

Titan Workforce faces allegations of Labor Code violations in a recent California wage and hour lawsuit.

The Case: Rodriguez v. Titan Workforce

The Court: San Joaquin Superior Court

The Case No.: STK-CV-UOE-2022-3036

Plaintiff in the Case: Rodriguez v. Titan Workforce

In Rodriguez v. Titan Workforce, the plaintiff filed a class-action lawsuit alleging the defendant failed to comply with employment laws requiring that they provide employees with meal breaks and rest periods.

Defendant in the Case: Rodriguez v. Titan Workforce

According to the class-action lawsuit, the defendant, Titan Workforce, violated California Labor Code referencing paying minimum wage, paying overtime wages, providing employees with meal breaks and rest periods, providing accurate itemized wage statements to employees, providing employees with wages when they are due, and reimbursing employees for business expenses. (See California Labor Code Sections §§ 201, 202, 203, 204, 226, 226.7, 246, 510, 512, 558, 1194, 1197, 1197.1, 1198, and 2802).

The Case: Rodriguez v. Titan Workforce

According to the wage and hour class action lawsuit, Titan Workforce allegedly violated the Private Attorneys General Act (PAGA) which may result in civil penalties. PAGA allows aggrieved employees to file suit to pursue civil penalties on behalf of themselves, as well as other employees and the State of California due to California Labor Code Violations. For legal purposes, aggrieved employee means any person employed by the alleged violator and against whom one or more of the alleged violations was committed." (See California Labor Code Section 2699(c) for more info). Under PAGA, the aggrieved employee is “deputized” as a private attorney to enforce labor code.

If you have questions about how to file an overtime class action or PAGA lawsuit, please contact Blumenthal Nordrehaug Bhowmik DeBlouw LLP. Experienced employment law attorneys are ready to assist you in various law firm offices located in San Diego, San Francisco, Sacramento, Los Angeles, Riverside, and Chicago.

Minor League Baseball Players Reach Settlement in Wage and Hour Lawsuit

In recent news, the minor league players reached a settlement agreement in the lawsuit alleging Major League Baseball teams violated minimum wage laws.

The Case: Senne, et al. v. Office of the Commissioner of Baseball, et al.

The Court: U.S. District Court, Northern District of California

The Case No.: 3:14-cv-00608-JCS

The Plaintiff: Senne, et al. v. Office of the Commissioner of Baseball, et al.

The plaintiff, first baseman/outfielder Aaron Senne, was a 10th round pick of the Marlins in 2009. In 2013, Senne retired. Senne along with two other retired players who were lower-round selections, Liberto (Kansas City infielder), and Odle (San Francisco pitcher), filed suit alleging the teams violated the federal Fair Labor Standards Act and state minimum wage and overtime laws for a workweek estimated at around 50 to 60 hours.

Postponing the Hearing: Senne, et al. v. Office of the Commissioner of Baseball, et al.

A trial for the case was scheduled for June 1 in the U.S. District Court in San Francisco. However, lawyers for both sides filed a letter asking the Chief Magistrate Judge Joseph C. Spero to postpone. The letter informed the court that the parties reached a settlement and agreed upon a confidential memorandum of understanding. At the time the letter was submitted to the court, the settlement documents were still being prepared.

The Case: Senne, et al. v. Office of the Commissioner of Baseball, et al.

While terms of the settlement were not yet filed with the court, and details were not offered, anonymous sources involved in the case indicated that the parties had recently discussed a settlement around $200 million.

Issues Being Considered: Senne, et al. v. Office of the Commissioner of Baseball, et al.

After years of arguing about whether the case should be given class-action status, it was sent back to the District Court by the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in 2019. In March, the judge offered a pretrial ruling stating that the minor league players are year-round employees who work during training time, and he found that MLB violated Arizona’s state minimum wage law leaving them liable for triple damages. The judge also ruled that MLB failed to comply with California wage statement requirements and noted penalty awards of $1,882,650. The judge also ruled that MLB is a joint employer with minor league teams for players who “work” during spring training and minor league players should be paid for travel time to games in the California League and travel to practice in Arizona and Florida.

If you have questions about inaccurate overtime pay calculations, minimum wage violations, or other employment law violations, please contact Blumenthal Nordrehaug Bhowmik DeBlouw LLP. Our experienced California employment law attorneys are ready to assist you in various law firm offices located in San Diego, San Francisco, Sacramento, Los Angeles, Riverside, and Chicago.

Former Senior Vice Presidnet Receives Largest Wrongful Termination Lawsuit Verdict in LA County

When a former senior vice president filed suit against Farmers Insurance Group for wrongful termination, the result is believed to be the third-largest such verdict in the state and the largest in Los Angeles County.

The Case: Andrew Rudnicki vs. Farmers Insurance Exchange et al

The Court: CA Superior Court - Los Angeles County

The Case No.: CVPS2200395

The Plaintiff: Andrew Rudnicki vs. Farmers Insurance Exchange et al

Rudnicki was employed at Farmers for 37 years at the time of his termination. He started as a trial attorney in 1979. According to his August 2017 complaint, he rose from supervising attorney to senior vice president in 2013. At that point, Rudnicki was being prepared to offer his deposition testimony in Coates v. Farmers Insurance Group Inc., an equal pay case in California federal court. His testimony included knowledge about past sex bias in the companies’ legal group and withheld pay data. Instead, farmers fired him in retaliation for the testimony he was prepared to offer in the class pay bias lawsuit by the companies’ female in-house lawyers. Rudnicki filed a wrongful termination lawsuit in response to the situation.

The Defendant: Andrew Rudnicki vs. Farmers Insurance Exchange et al

In the end, the Coates case was settled. And according to Rudnicki’s complaint, the number of women in management positions in the legal department rose significantly during his tenure as vice president.

Details of the Case: Andrew Rudnicki vs. Farmers Insurance Exchange et al

The court’s findings in Andrew Rudnicki vs. Farmers Insurance Exchange et al. varied. Based on the merits of the wrongful termination lawsuit (and additional claims included in the complaint), a California Superior Court judge awarded Rudnicki over $155 million. Specifically, the jury found that Rudnicki’s role as a potential witness in the Coates case served as substantial motivation for his firing and awarded him $3.4M in past economic damages, $1M in future economic damages, and $1M in noneconomic damages. In addition, the jury found the retaliation in violation of multiple state laws. The jury did reject Rudnicki’s claim that age discrimination and disability discrimination played a part in his termination.

If you have questions about California employment law or if you need to file a wrongful termination lawsuit, please get in touch with Blumenthal Nordrehaug Bhowmik DeBlouw LLP. Experienced employment law attorneys can assist you in various law firm offices in San Diego, San Francisco, Sacramento, Los Angeles, Riverside, and Chicago.

Former Employee Sues PlayVS Alleging Pregnancy Discrimination

In recent news, PlayVS faces allegations that they engaged in pregnancy discrimination against a former employee.

The Case: Waynick v. Play Versus, Inc.

The Court: Los Angeles County Superior Court

The Case No.: 22STCV08523

The Plaintiff: Waynick v. Play Versus, Inc.

The plaintiff in the case, Waynick, is a former quality assurance analyst for PlayVS. According to the complaint, Waynick started working for PlayVS in January 2021 and advised PlayVS that she was pregnant on June 10, 2021. Allegedly, once they were aware of her pregnancy, the company placed her in a performance improvement plan. When Waynick complained about the discriminatory situation to Human Resources, she claimed the company ignored her complaint. Waynick claims that she was bullied and treated with hostility in the workplace leading to extreme stress. Due to pregnancy complications, her doctor advised her to take a leave. Waynick claims she was locked out of her computer when she returned from her leave. Later that same day, she was terminated on August 16, 2021.

The Defendant: Waynick v. Play Versus, Inc.

The defendant in the case, Play Versus or PlayVS, is a high school esports platform. The company is being sued for wrongful termination by Waynick, a former employee who describes a pattern of harassment and a hostile workplace.

More About the Case: Waynick v. Play Versus, Inc.

Waynick claims PlayVS violated five different counts of California labor, including discrimination, retaliation, failure to prevent discrimination, pregnancy leave violation, and wrongful termination.

If you have questions about California employment law or if you need to file a wrongful termination lawsuit, please get in touch with Blumenthal Nordrehaug Bhowmik DeBlouw LLP. Experienced employment law attorneys are ready to assist you in various law firm offices located in San Diego, San Francisco, Sacramento, Los Angeles, Riverside, and Chicago.