Author Archives: Kristen Povolny

Youth Leagues Biting Off More Than They Can Chew

Courtroom spike

Audrey Dimitrew, a 16 year old club volleyball player, and her family have decided to press charges on the Chesapeake Region Volleyball Association (CHRVA) after the league would not permit her to switch teams, denying her request for release from the team after she was receiving insufficient playing time.  This youth sports dispute is one of many in recent months, believing that the judicial system has the ability to intervene on matters of playing time and league guidelines.  The lawsuit was filed in March after the refusal to release Dimitrew, for the league believed it would be setting a “bad precedent” if the only prerequisite for discharge from the league was to be unsatisfied with playing time on the court.  Instead, the league handbook denotes valid reasoning for dismissal lays in a player undergoing a “verifiable hardship,” something the league believes Dimitrew did not face.  This lawsuit brings into question the inevitable disputes between parents, players, and coaches, and if such disagreements are cause for litigation.

Read More

Chipotle Employees Sue Company for Withholding Wages

No free burritos!

Chipotle Mexican Grill has long been known for delicious burritos and fresh ingredients. But as of late, the Colorado-based restaurant chain has come under fire for the way they treat their employees. Hundreds of Chipotle employees from across the country have recently filed lawsuits against the fast-food giant for allegedly cheating them out of wages. The employees claim that they were forced to work off the clock and that the company misclassified them to avoid paying overtime. The unfair wage cuts were part of an attempt to cut labor costs and increase profits.

Read More

Protein Powder Ripping Off Athletes

Bodybuilders beware

Several companies have been on the receiving end of lawsuits claiming lack of protein in their supplements. A large number of the companies in this $7 billion industry are being accused of selling products with less protein content than what they advertise on the label. “Arnold Schwarzenegger Series Iron Mass, for instance, contains half the protein stated on its label, according to third party testing in one lawsuit”. FDA regulations require that content labels on all dietary supplements be accurate and not misleading to the consumers. In this case the expectation is that protein content be evaluated based on actual protein sources, not fillers such as amino acids.

Read More

Melissa Rivers Files Malpractice Lawsuit

First do no harm

The untimely death of the legendary Joan Rivers during a routine procedure took the world by surprise, including her close knit family. “The city’s medical examiner found that Joan Rivers died of brain damage due to lack of oxygen after she stopped breathing during the endoscopy. Her death was classified as a therapeutic complication”. Melissa Rivers has filed a lawsuit with the Manhattan Supreme Court alleging incompetence on behalf of the doctors, and seeks unspecified damages. According to the lawsuit the doctors mishandled this procedure, and performed a separate procedure without the consent of the patient or her family. Concern was expressed during the procedure in regards to Rivers’ breathing, this concern went unaddressed.

Read More

Utah Woman Nearly Killed by Toxic Tea

Enjoy this refreshing beverage with caution…

A few short months ago, Jan Harding was almost killed after she drank iced tea that was mixed with chemicals. Harding drank a single sip of sweetened iced tea at Dickey’s Barbecue in South Jordan, UT and stated, “I think I just drank acid”. After investigation authorities confirmed, “A restaurant employee unintentionally put the heavy-duty cleaner lye in a sugar bag, and another worker mistakenly mixed it into the iced tea dispenser. Lye, which looks like sugar, is an odorless chemical used for degreasing deep fryers”. The restaurant quickly reassured consumers that Harding was the first and only to drink from this botched batch of iced tea, and no one else was harmed. Other allegations have arisen  of incidents with this particular chemical in this restaurant chain, Dickey’s has not provided comment.

Read More