Brianna Smith, Author at Legal Reader

Brianna Smith is a freelance writer and editor in Southwest Michigan. A graduate of Grand Valley State University, Brianna has a passion for politics, social issues, education, science, and more. When she’s not writing, she enjoys the simple life with her husband, daughter, and son.

Gender and Pay Discrimination Prompts Another Lawsuit

October 16, 2017

Fox News and CNN aren’t the only news outlets under fire for discriminating against employees. Yesterday, four female employees of the Detroit Free Press filed a gender discrimination lawsuit against the newspaper and Gannet Co., it’s owner, alleging “they have systematically received lower pay than their similarly situated male peers.” Additionally, it also alleges that Gannet Co. and the Free Press “violated the federal Equal Pay Act and the state civil rights law, which bars gender discrimination, by disparately compensating women while they do equal work with the same skills as comparable men.”

After Tragic Death, Family Files Wrongful Death Against Columbus Police Department

October 13, 2017

After spending time in police custody in Columbus, Ohio, a father of three passed away, prompting his family to file a wrongful death lawsuit against the police division. At the moment the lawsuit is “alleging that excessive police force contributed to his death,” and is “seeking more than $2 million.” But what happened? Most people don’t die after being kept in police custody.

Image of Daniel Green with wife Mary Kriete-Green

$5.9M Settlement Awarded to Widow of Worker Killed in 2011 Truck Accident

October 12, 2017

It’s never easy losing a loved one, especially when it’s sudden and unexpected. Unfortunately for one woman, she had to experience the heartache of losing her husband in a tragic work accident. However, instead of getting lost in her grief, she filed a wrongful death lawsuit against her husband’s employer. Now, years after her husband’s death, Mary Kriete-Green of Fontana, Wisconsin has agreed to “a nearly $6 million payment from the companies involved in the death.”

State of Missouri Under Fire in Latest Workplace Discrimination Lawsuit

October 12, 2017

A mental health hospital in Fulton, Missouri, as well as the state of Missouri, is under fire in a new lawsuit alleging workplace discrimination. According to the lawsuit filed by Jerome Morgan, a Jamaican native and employee at the mental hospital, “he was assigned to tougher jobs and called racist names because he is black.” At the moment, he is seeking $25,000 in damages. However, Morgan’s case is only one in a series of many discrimination cases “brought by state workers, including a recent decision that could award $2 million to a female employee of the Missouri Department of Corrections.”

Man Receives $4M Settlement After Wrongful Conviction

October 11, 2017

Can you imagine being sentenced to prison for a crime you didn’t commit? Unfortunately, wrongful convictions happen from time to time, subjecting normal, every day people to long prison sentences for crimes like theft, arson, and even murder. For example, Joseph Sledge spent “37 years in prison for crimes he did not commit.” Now he’s set to receive $4 million after Bladen County and insurance companies agreed to settle a lawsuit that Sledge filed against the Bladen County Sheriff’s Office. But what happened? How was he found guilty and imprisoned for nearly four decades?

Image of Fearless Girl Challenging Wall Street's Charging Bull

Firm Behind “Fearless Girl” Statue Agrees to $5M Settlement in Gender Discrimination Lawsuit

October 10, 2017

Do you remember the “Fearless Girl” statue staring down the Charging Bull on Wall Street? Since it’s installment, “Fearless Girl” has stood as a symbol of female equality and empowerment, which is why some find it a bit ironic that the firm behind it, State Street, is set to “pay millions of dollars to women employees who say it treated them unfairly.” Some of the allegations, in particular, came from female employees who claim they were paid “less than their male counterparts.”

Verona Resort and Spa Pushes Back Against Pregnancy Discrimination Lawsuit

October 10, 2017

After being accused of discriminating against a pregnant employee, Polaris Guam, otherwise known as Verona Resort and Spa, has responded to a “lawsuit filed against them for pregnancy discrimination, denying the allegations and claiming the pregnant employee wasn’t fired but that she quit on her own.” The lawsuit against the resort was filed by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission in District Court earlier this year on behalf of the “former employee who was allegedly fired because she was pregnant.” So what happened?

Image with the word 'Equifax' in white on red background

Another 80,000 Consumers Affected By Equifax Breach in Michigan

October 10, 2017

Anyone who has been following the story about the Equifax breach already knows it was a massive data breach that compromised sensitive information belonging to millions upon millions of Americans. Unfortunately, the number of people affected just keeps growing. In an announcement yesterday Bill Schuette, Michigan’s attorney general, revealed that “another 80,000 Michigan residents have been added to the more than 4 million people affected in the state by the enormous Equifax data breach.”

President Trump Nominates Andrew Wheeler for EPA Deputy Administrator Position

October 9, 2017

President Trump has been busy these last few days. Between traveling to hurricane-ravaged Puerto Rico and Las Vegas to meet with victims of the deadly shooting that occurred earlier this week, he’s managed to squeeze in an important decision concerning the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Yesterday afternoon the White House announced that President Trump “is picking Andrew Wheeler, a former lobbyist, and senior Republican congressional staffer, to be the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) deputy administrator.” But who is Mr. Wheeler, exactly, and what will he bring to the table?

Prestage Foods Recalls 38,475 Pounds of Ground Turkey Over Concerns of Metal Contamination

October 5, 2017

Ground turkey fans beware. Prestage Foods recently issued a recall for an estimated 38,475 pounds of ground turkey over concerns that the lean meat might “contain metal shavings from processing equipment.” That being said, if you have any ground turkey in your refrigerator or freezer, it might be time to take a peek at the label to see if your turkey is included in the recall.

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