Call Us 919-240-4054A Tennessee Grandmother was cited by police for allowing her grandchildren to ride their bikes in the street in front of her house. Victoria Mathis of Charlotte, TN, was appalled when she was told that her city would take legal action against her if she does not stop her grandkids, ranging in age from 7 […]
Case Commentary
Win for CWA Local in Court of Appeals
The North Carolina Court of Appeals issued an opinion today in favor of the Communication Workers of America and their Local Chapter 3602 in Fisher v. CWA. The case was the first case that we know of brought under North Carolina’s Identity Theft Protection Act. The Business Court, Judge Albert Diaz, and the Court of Appeals […]
Court of Appeals decides two new workers’ compensation cases
On August 2, 2011, the NC Court of Appeals decided the case of Capps v. Southeastern Cable, in which it held that an installer of cable TV and internet services was an employee, and not an independent contractor. The Court based its decision on the conditions of the employment, and gave no weight to the […]
Supreme Court issues important decision in discrimination case
In Staub v. Proctor Hospital, the US Supreme Court just issued an important unanimous decision in this military-service-based discrimination case. This case concerns the so-called “cat’s paw” theory of liability, under which one supervisor acts with discriminatory intent against the plaintiff, but the plaintiff is actually fired by another supervisor. The case arose under the Uniformed Services […]
NC Supreme Court sends parking lot case back to Commission
The North Carolina Supreme Court has sent a tricky workers’ compensation case back the Industrial Commission for additional fact-finding. Cardwell v. Jenkins Cleaner involves a plaintiff who was injured when she slipped on some black ice three feet away from the back door to her office. Our coverage of the Court of Appeals’ split-decision in […]
Fourth Circuit rules USERRA retaliation claim can go to trial
In a recent unpublished opinion, Bunting v. Town of Ocean City, the Fourth Circuit partially overturned a grant of summary judgment and allowed the plaintiff to proceed to trial on his USERRA retaliation claim. USERRA is a federal statute that protects armed service members from being discriminated in employment because of their service. Like other anti-discrimination […]