Category Archives: Settlements

A beautifully crafted sombrero featuring intricate gold and white embroidery on a rich blue background with ornate patterns and decorative details. The hat is displayed on a stand and partially obscures a guitar in the background.

An Unusual Dress Code Violation

Work appropriate attire?

What happens when you wear a Mariachi suit to work? Ask former CNN studio technician William Kane who was fired from CNN in June 2013, allegedly as a result of wearing “flamboyant” outfits. Mr. Kane “claims he was discriminated against and fired for being gay and for wearing extravagant clothes that included mariachi outfits, yellow track suits and cowboy hats” (Algar, New York Post, 2014).  Apparently these vibrant outfits were determined incompatible with the workplace. In return, Mr. Kane has officially filed a $65 million Brooklyn federal lawsuit against CNN for the discrimination. Mr. Kane, who worked for CNN as a technical operator from 2002 to 2013, became well-known for his flashy garb – even with some of the more popular news anchors such as Piers Morgan and Christiane Amanpour. One day while wearing a black mariachi suit, he caught the attention of Ms. Amanpour who asked Mr. Kane to a take a photo with her; the photo was posted directly to her Twitter page in October 2012 (Algar, New York Post, 2014).

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Ringling Circus Done Jumping Through Legal Hoops

Dumbo Prevails!

After a 14 year legal battle, Feld Entertainment Ringling Brothers Barnum & Bailey Circus reached a settlement collecting $15.75 million from the Humane Society of the United States and multiple other animal rights groups. The long running litigation suit was based on allegations that Ringling Circus was mistreating elephants. The extraordinary legal case evolved into a costly embarrassment for some of the nation’s leading animal rights organizations. Read More

Vibram to Foot the Bill on Multi-Million Dollar Lawsuit

Just say no to barefoot running

Approximately 70 million Americans purchased a pair of those “weird looking barefoot running shoes”, which retail for around $100 per pair. Vibram, the company behind FiveFingers shoes, just settled a $3.75 million  class action lawsuit over false health claims made. The Huffington Post states, “The thin-soled, flexible shoes are said to mimic the experience of running in bare feet, and thus “improve foot health” — an unsupported claim the company falsely advertised”. Vibram claimed several health benefits of the barefoot running experience such as stronger foot and leg muscles, improved range of motion, improved posture, and several others. Experts have now said that barefoot running can actually negatively impact foot health. Read More

Another Lawsuit Lands On The NFL’s Desk

NFL “Tackled” By Another Lawsuit

On May 20, 2014, more than 600 former NFL players filed a lawsuit against the NFL, according to the Associated Press. The players stated they were abetted by team trainers and physicians to often take illegal narcotics and pain killers. They would do this on game days so they would make the pain they were going through. Among the painkillers were Percodan, Percocet, and Vicodin, and sleep aides such as Ambien. The lead attorney, Steven Silverman, states these drugs were “handed out like candy on Halloween.”

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J.K. Rowling Sues The Daily Mail

House of lies?

As the Harry Potter author, J.K. Rowling, rose to fame over her hit book and movie series, rumors surrounding her earlier life became a hot topic in multiple news sources. Some of these sources speculated on how Ms. Rowling began writing the series, questioning if she actually wrote the series on napkins in cafes. Other sources, however, speculated about her personal life as they reported on her previous relationships and life as single mother. One such source that publicly discussed her single-parenthood was the British newspaper, Daily Mail, who published an article on September 27, 2013 suggesting that Ms. Rowling “told a false ‘sob story’ about being stigmatised by churchgoers” (BBC, 2014). The Daily Mail’s report was in response to an article that Ms. Rowling posted on Gingerbread charity’s website (www.gingerbread.org.uk) about her realities of being a single parent. Read More