In a recent unpublished opinion, New Jersey’s Appellate Division found a teacher’s objection that his school did not sufficiently discipline a student for threatening to shoot another student could be protected from retaliation by the Conscientious Employee Protection Act (“CEPA”). CEPA is a broad New Jersey whistleblower law that prohibits…
Articles Posted in wrongful termination
Court Reinstates Employee’s Retaliation Lawsuit, Finding Employer Could Have Identified Her as Anonymous Whistleblower
A new decision from New Jersey’s Appellate Division recognizes that an employer can be liable for retaliating against an employee who filed an anonymous whistleblower complaint if the evidence supports the inference that it could have realized she was the one who filed the complaint. For 14 years, Carol Smith…
Termination Three Weeks After Medical Leave Supports Disability Discrimination Claim
A recent decision by New Jersey’s Appellate Division demonstrates that under the right circumstances an employee can prove disability discrimination from the fact that her employer fired her shortly after she had surgery. Ada Caballero worked for Cablevision Systems Corporation for 15 years. In 2013, she was divorced. A few…
Close Enough? Who is “Similarly Situated” Under New Jersey Law Against Discrimination?
A recent decision by the Third Circuit Court of Appeals helps clarify who is a “similarly situated” employee in discrimination cases under the New Jersey Law Against Discrimination (“LAD”). This is important since one way to prove discrimination is by showing the employer treated other similarly situated employees more favorably…
Backlash Against Non-Disparagement Clauses
It has become extremely common, if not standard practice, for employers to include non-disparagement clauses in settlement agreements and severance packages they offer to their former employees. These provisions prohibit employees from saying anything negative about their former employers. They are extremely broad, since they prohibit true but negative statements…