Hawkins Parnell Secures a Defense Verdict for Non-Profit and CEO in Employment Lawsuit
November 14, 2024 (San Francisco, CA) – Hawkins Parnell & Young successfully defended a non-profit organization and its CEO against numerous employment-related claims. Lead trial counsel Jennifer Capabianco, a partner in Hawkins Parnell's San Francisco office, secured a unanimous jury verdict against all allegations of sexual harassment, retaliation, and wrongful termination. The court also tossed a whistleblower claim against the defendants.
"We are pleased that the jury recognized the facts involving many intricate and outlandish details and delivered a verdict in favor of our clients," said Capabianco. "This outcome reaffirms the integrity of the non-profit and its leadership in serving vulnerable people in our community."
The plaintiff, a former employee, alleged that the non-profit CEO made many inappropriate and salacious statements, including about operating a prostitution ring, engaging in sexual acts, transgender people, and the bodies of female clients. The plaintiff also asserted that his termination violated his whistleblower protections and was retaliation for reporting a safety hazard involving a sparking transformer near the non-profit's facility.
During the trial, Capabianco demonstrated that the plaintiff was terminated for insubordination after he refused to discuss the safety issue with the CEO and engaged in disruptive behavior upon storming off the premises, including yelling profanities, assaulting the CEO, crashing into a vehicle in the parking lot, and pulling out a knife to damage property further. The defense also refuted the plaintiff's allegations regarding the CEO's statements, presenting testimony from multiple employees who confirmed that any discussions by the CEO were professional, related to his past experiences from overcoming addiction that led to him founding the non-profit, and in the context of providing services and accommodations to clients.
The court granted a motion for nonsuit on the whistleblower claim after the plaintiff rested his case. The jury unanimously rejected all of the plaintiff's claims of sexual harassment, retaliation, and wrongful termination against the non-profit and CEO. The jury determined the non-profit owed $10,239 in overtime pay, which the defense conceded to about a year before trial.
About Hawkins Parnell & Young
Hawkins Parnell & Young is a national defense litigation firm that has represented many of the largest and most well-known companies in high-risk litigation and business disputes. The 250-strong litigation team works with clients to develop winning defense strategies and, if necessary, try cases to verdict in all 50 states.
