Employment
Relman, Dane & Colfax has extensive experience litigating cases on behalf of employees who have suffered discrimination in the workplace. The Firm has litigated both individual cases and class actions and represented employees of private companies and government employees. Our litigation experience includes representation of those who have suffered adverse employment actions (such as failure to hire or promote and termination), harassment (including sexual and racial), and retaliation. Our attorneys provide representation at every stage of a discrimination complaint, including counseling employees on their rights, negotiating with employers, representing employees in the administrative process, and litigating in federal or state court. The Firm represents clients who have been discriminated against on any basis protected under the law, including race, color, national origin, religion, sex, pregnancy, disability, age, and marital status.
Selected Cases
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St. John v. Napolitano
On February 12, 2010, Relman, Dane & Colfax filed an employment discrimination and retaliation lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia on behalf of Samuel St. John, a twenty-seven year veteran of United States Customs and Border Protection. The complaint alleges that Mr. St. John, who is Hispanic, was discriminated against on the basis of his national origin and age when he was denied a promotion to the position of Director of the Container Security Initiative ("CSI") – a position Mr. St. John had already been filling in an “acting” capacity for nearly a year. As Acting CSI Director, Mr. St. John had direct responsibility for the inspection of maritime shipping containers arriving from fifty-eight different foreign ports. Mr. St. John supervised 264 employees and managed a $157 million budget. By all accounts, Mr. St. John performed these duties in an exemplary fashion. Two notices were issued to make a permanent hire for the Director position Mr. St. John was filling. Mr. St. John applied both times and each time received the highest score among all applicants. Despite his top ranking and his experience in the very position he sought, he was not selected. Instead, a white, younger applicant with far less relevant experience was hired. The complaint brings claims under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Age Discrimination in Employment Act. For a copy of the complaint, click here.
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Garza v. San Juan Abstract & Title Co.
On February 23, 2010, Relman, Dane & Colfax filed a lawsuit on behalf of Jessica Garza in the U.S. District Court for the District of New Mexico against San Juan Abstract & Title Company alleging discrimination on the basis of sex and pregnancy. The complaint alleged that Ms. Garza was terminated within hours after informing her employer that she was pregnant. The employer stated at the time that he was closing the branch location where Ms. Garza was the sole employee and that she could not transfer to the main office, located only 15 minutes away, because the main office was overstaffed. However, San Juan Title hired a woman who was not pregnant to replace Ms. Garza and another employee in the main office had already informed the company that she planned to resign her position. The complaint brought claims under Title VII, the New Mexico Human Rights Act, and New Mexico common law. The case was resolved in October 2010. For a copy of the complaint, click here.
Jury Awards $164,737 in Damages and Back Pay for Sexual Harassment
On Wednesday, July 22, 2009, Judge Legg of the United States District Court for the District of Maryland awarded $678,326 in damages to seven Complainants who endured egregious sexual harassment while employed at Defendant Worthington, Moore, and Jacobs. The award represents the full statutory cap for compensatory and punitive damages and full back-pay for all Complainants. Read more.
