Principal Jay Holland was recently quoted in an article by Inside Counsel on the new ruling regarding racial slurs and harassment. According to the Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit, a racial slur need be either severe or pervasive to qualify as harassment. This sets a groundbreaking precedent, as originally slurs had to be both severe and pervasive.
Holland who is chair of JGL’s Labor, Employment and Qui Tam Whistleblower Law Division, applied his expertise to the issue. He offers suggestions for employers on how to prevent harassment including leading by example and requiring employees attend anti-discrimination training. Click below for the full article.
A seven-year-old girl from Montgomery County was visiting her father when she was bit by a pitbull named Toro. The dog had previously attacked a mail carrier in 2011, and had issues with animal control in the past.
The pitbull’s owner and the landlord of the house, Andrew Kaupert, had left the house at the time. Kaupert was renting the house from his parents and the case held both Kaupert and his parents responsible for the attack.
Due to the attack, where Toro bit her twice, the girl underwent five surgeries and received scarring on her leg. She received both economic and noneconomic damages.Click below for the full story.
Join us in October as we celebrate Fred Joseph’s legacy, his contributions to the firm and to his community with a benefit in his honor.
Since the Koshko decision of 2007 it has been difficult for grandparents and other third parties to gain visitation rights. A recent decision in the Court of Appeals could open some doors for these visitation seekers. Jeffrey N. Greenblatt has been practicing family law for 43 years. He discussed these cases and others in the Maryland Daily Record’s Family Law Update. Click below for the full story.
The Montgomery County Circuit Court recently overturned the county ban on certain lawn pesticides. All the pesticides in question are approved by the federal government, and the ban would conflict with pre-existing federal and state regulations.
Timothy F. Maloney, attorney for the plaintiffs, called the ruling a “significant victory for consumer safety.” If the ban had not been overturned, it would set a legal precedent which could allow for all the nearly 200 jurisdictions in Maryland, to create their own pesticide regulations.
To read the coverage of the case by The Washington Post, click on the following link:
Over ten members of the JGL community participated in the event including attorney Anne Grover and paralegal Jamerra Cherry.
The convention was held at the Columbia Sheraton and was also attended by Yvonne Johnson the national PTA representative and assistant state superintendent, Mary L. Gable. The event also included two keynote speakers, president of UMBC, Dr. Freeman Hrabowski III and Maryland’s 2016 teacher of the year, Athanasia Kyriakakos.
Pictured Below: Brian Markovitz and Brenda Adimora at the JGL booth.
JGL attorney Paul Riekhof hosted a seminar on July 27 that focused on federal estate, gift and trust taxation. The seminar, held at the Hilton Garden Inn in Fairfax, gave attendees the skills necessary to be able to calculate estate tax, identify types of trusts and understand advanced trust planning, among other objectives.
Throughout the day, Paul taught a series of the agenda’s various lectures, beginning with an overview of trust taxation, and ending with a lecture about life insurance trusts. The seminar was co-hosted by attorneys Aejaz A. Dar, David B. Wilks and Richard Phillips, all of whom taught lectures throughout the day, too. The seminar was sponsored by HalfMoon Education Inc., a company that provides seminars and webinars for licensed professionals.
Trump continues to bash Attorney General Jeff Sessions on Twitter. Law.com asked Jay Holland if these tweets are entering the arenas of defamation, invasion of privacy or harassment. Click below for the full article.
Ten members of the JGL LAW community attended the joint anniversary celebration of the J. Franklyn Bourne Bar Association and the Prince George’s County Human Relations Commission. Both organizations are dedicated to improving Prince George’s County, and they celebrated over 40 years of service to the county.
The J. Franklyn Bourne Bar Association was created originally as the J. Franklyn Bourne Law Club in honor of Bourne, who was the first African-American to start a law firm in Prince George’s County. Bourne was also the first African-American chairman of the Maryland’s Women’s Compensation Commission and he helped create the Prince George’s County Human Relations Commission.
The Prince George’s County Human Relations Commission is committed to protecting the civil rights of Prince George’s County residents. The commission investigates discrimination on the basis of education, employment, real estate, housing and law enforcement conduct. All with the aim that county residents can live, work and play free of bias, misunderstanding and conflict due to prejudice.
The anniversary celebration featured Yvette Lewis, DNC national committee woman, as the keynote speaker. Lewis also serves as director of external affairs and community engagement for US senator Chris Van Hollen.
The event was held Tuesday night at the Newton White Mansion in Mitchellville, MD. Congratulations and thank you to both organizations for their continued dedication to making Prince George’s County a better place for us all. Ten JGL representatives attended.
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The Third Circuit’s recent decision could have a wide-ranging impact on employers. They ruled a sole use of a racial slur could warrant a harassment claim. The ruling came following a case where two employees were fired after reporting the use of a slur. Click below for the full article.
Maloney and his team of JGL litigation attorneys argued the victim’s apartment complex did not provide ample security despite frequent complaints from residents. The police had been called to the complex over 500 times in the five years before the incident. Timothy Maloney hopes that it will remind apartment managers that they have an “absolute duty” to ensure the safety of their residents.
Timothy’s team for the trial included litigator Matt Bryant, summary judgement opposition by Alyse Prawde and motions in limine by Levi Zaslow and Timothy Creed.
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