Caught on Camera

Airplane antics gone wrong

Traveling in an airplane is scary enough, without the thought of your flight crew spying on you. In a February 2017 flight, embarking from Pittsburgh to Phoenix, a Southwest Airlines flight attendant discovered an iPad in the cockpit.  The iPad was live streaming a video of the other pilot using the bathroom.  The flight attendant, Renee Steinaker, took out her personal cell phone to photograph the iPad, as a way of documenting the incident. Due to the unprofessional and intrusive nature of the streamed video, Steinaker reported the event to her superiors at Southwest.  Steinaker was not met with an ethical response, however, and was told to not reveal the contents of the video to anyone. Continue reading →

Pitt Needs to Make It Right

Constructing a sound lawsuit

Brad Pitt is in the spotlight again, and the reason is something other than promoting a new movie. A lawsuit filed on behalf of several victims of Hurricane Katrina are taking action against Pitt and his charitable organization, Make It Right.  In an effort to assist those devastatingly impacted by Hurricane Katrina, Pitt’s foundation built homes to replace the structures lost in the hurricane.  According to the lawsuit, the homes constructed by the organization are quickly deteriorating.  Although many victims are left to live in homes that are apparently unlivable, Brad Pitt is denouncing all responsibility and involvement in the alleged neglect. Continue reading →

Walmart Customers Forced to Window Shop

Beauty can get ugly

A $0.48 comb could escalate into a lawsuit worth thousands of dollars.  Essie Grundy, a California resident, filed a lawsuit in California Superior Court in Riverside County.  The filing stems from several shopping trips Grundy took to Walmart, during which she succumbed to asking an employee to unlock a cosmetic counter. The beauty products behind the glass, Grundy argues, were specific to only African American use.  On one particular occasion, Grundy asked to see a $0.48 comb from behind the glass and was not allowed to physically take the comb until an employee walked it up to the register to be purchased.  Feeling racially attacked, Grundy proceeded with legal action. Continue reading →

JUUL May Not Be a Polished Alternative

Young smokers at risk

In the midst of lawmakers pushing for a ban on e-cigarettes, a student, Maxwell Berger, has filed a lawsuit against JUUL Lab, Inc.  The 22-year-old suffered a stroke in July 2017, and says the cause was related to his frequent e-cigarette use.  Initially attracted to JUUL’s different products and flavors, Berger started smoking in 2015 at the age of 18.  Only a high school senior at the time, Berger was unaware of any potential side effects related to JUUL products.  It is difficult to believe that a sleek, easy-to-use pen with a variety of tasteful flavors could ever cause a stroke in a young person.  The lawsuit points the finger at JUUL’s misleading marketing tactics that lure young smokers into using their e-cigarettes.  Continue reading →

Lighting Dispute Gets a Little Honky

Nashville lights fire under venue

The spotlight is shining on country music star, Blake Shelton; and not for the reason you might think.  Due to the results of a recent lawsuit, Shelton must alter his bar and restaurant’s red exterior lighting.  Old Red Nashville is placed at the heart of Lower Broadway in Nashville, among the various honky tonks and restaurants that line the street.  Shelton opened two other restaurant / bars of the same name in Tishomingo, Oklahoma and Gatlinburg, Tennessee.  While each establishment has their own unique designs and characteristics, all of the restaurants follow the same red color palette and lighting.  Continue reading →