The case was recently featured on St. Louis Public Radio.

The lawsuit alleges the school district violated Missouri common law and the Missouri Whistleblower’s Protection Act when it wrongly terminated our client’s contract. The complaint also alleges that a former vice president of the St. Louis Schools Board of Education defamed our client. 

According to the lawsuit, our client was placed on administrative leave on July 25, 2024, in violation of the terms of her contract, after she had uncovered long-standing failures within the district that had gone unaddressed for years, including her claim that the district owed almost $5 million in unpaid invoices. 

The lawsuit alleges that after our client reported this to the Board of Education, the district then wrongly placed her on administrative leave in violation of the terms of her contract and without providing her any explanation. 

The lawsuit also claims that during our client’s improper administrative leave, the school district terminated seven senior members of the school district administration with no notice.

The lawsuit goes on to state: 

“Defendant SLPS’s action in terminating members of Plaintiff Scarlett’s administration was intended to signal to potential witnesses that anyone supporting Plaintiff Scarlett could lose their job.”

According to the lawsuit, a former vice president for the SLPS Board of Education defamed our client by alleged she set salaries for administration employees at higher rates than she should have and without consulting the BOE. 

The lawsuit states:  

“Plaintiff Scarlett had numerous communications with the Board regarding salaries for the school administration during her employment and kept them informed of each action she took related to setting any salaries.”

On September 24, 2024, the district notified our client that it intended to terminate her employment “for cause”.

The lawsuit states that a hearing was then scheduled for October 14, 2024. But, according to the lawsuit, our client was also barred from accessing any of her school-issued devices or entering any school district buildings once she was placed on leave, thus making it impossible for her to access documents necessary to defend herself against accusations in the hearing.

That same day, the school district notified our client that her employment was terminated. The lawsuit alleges the district failed to properly terminate her under any clause of her contract. 

The lawsuit seeks judgment for lost wages and benefits, diminished current and future earning capacity, reputational damage, emotional distress, pre- and post-judgment interest, attorneys’ fees and costs, and any such other relief this Court deems may be just and proper.

This case is ongoing. 

You can read the lawsuit here.

For more information, contact attorney Nicole Matlock at nmatlock@kennedyhuntlaw.com. If you or someone you know has had their employment rights violated, our skilled attorneys at Kennedy Hunt, P.C. may be able to help you. Fill out a questionnaire so we can understand your claim. 

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The Justice Department says it opened the investigation after public complaints from people with disabilities who claim the parks ban guests from using certain walkers, including “rollator walkers.” The guests say they cannot navigate the parks without their walkers. They also allege that the only alternative the parks provide is not appropriate for their individual disabilities. 

“The ADA protects every American from disability-based discrimination in places of public accommodation, including theme parks,” Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon for the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division said in a release by the DOJ. “We are committed to upholding our federal civil rights laws so that no guest is denied access or charged more because of a disability.”

The attorneys at Kennedy Hunt P.C. are experts in fighting for people with disabilities in discrimination cases, including in suits against places of public accommodation. If you or someone you know has had their rights violated, the skilled attorneys at Kennedy Hunt, P.C. may be able to help you. Fill out a questionnaire so we can understand your claim. 

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The change means that landlords can use applicants’ lawful sources of income, including Section 8, veterans’ benefits, and Social Security, in determining whether to rent to them. The law is likely to hurt affordable housing efforts across Missouri. Section 8 housing vouchers help low-income families, seniors, and people with disabilities afford housing in the private market. 

The attorneys at Kennedy Hunt P.C. are experts in fair housing laws. We exclusively represent clients in their fights against housing discrimination in Missouri and Illinois and have landed many large settlements. If you or someone you know has had their housing rights violated, the skilled attorneys at Kennedy Hunt, P.C. may be able to help you. Fill out a questionnaire so we can understand your claim. 

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The shortage can severely impact students with disabilities, who may have reduced access to speech-language therapy, or no access at all, even if their Individualized Education Plan (IEP) requires it. This can cause delayed or missed therapies, thus hindering developmental milestones in communication, social skills, and academics. 

Missed interventions mean slower progress in speech, language, social skills, and cognitive growth, especially for children with autism, learning disabilities, and communication disorders. With needs going unmet, children are at academic and social risk. 

The bottom line is that the shortage threatens children’s potential to thrive in school and life. If you or your child’s needs are going unmet, the skilled attorneys at Kennedy Hunt P.C. may be able to help. Our firm exclusively represents the students in disability discrimination cases. The Education law cases brought by our office ensure children receive the education they are entitled to under state and federal laws. Our attorneys represent families throughout Illinois and Missouri who are accusing school districts of disability discrimination and not meeting their children’s needs as required by law.  

If you or someone you know has had their rights violated, the skilled attorneys at Kennedy Hunt, P.C. may be able to help you. Fill out a questionnaire so we can understand your claim. 

The post National Shortage of Speech-Language Pathologists Leaves Students with Disabilities Without the Services They Need appeared first on Kennedy Hunt, P.C..

According to the lawsuit, our client worked as a Puller Pourer for O’Fallon Casting from about January 2018 until the termination of his employment on or about January 30, 2024.

The lawsuit states that our client has the medical condition of migraines, which constitutes a disability under the Missouri Human Rights Act and the Americans with Disabilities Act. 

The lawsuit also states that since approximately 2019, O’Fallon Casting approved our client’s intermittent Family Medical Leave Act time off work due to his migraines. Our client’s intermittent FMLA allowed him to take off work if he had migraines and was unable to work due to his condition. 

The lawsuit alleges that our client started reporting to a new supervisor in 2023, who told our client they needed him to work on days he was off from work. 

The lawsuit claims that on January 30, 2024, O’Fallon Casting terminated our client’s employment. 

The lawsuit also alleges that O’Fallon Casting has terminated one or more other employees who were utilizing FMLA since our client’s termination.

The lawsuit seeks wages and benefits of employment that our client has lost and is reasonably certain to lose in the future, and prejudgment interest on the same; for emotional distress damages, punitive damages, liquidated damages, attorneys’ fees, and costs of litigation

You can read the lawsuit here. This case is ongoing. 

For more information, contact attorney Meredith Berwick at meredith@kennedyhuntlaw.com. If you or someone you know has been a victim of discrimination, our skilled attorneys at Kennedy Hunt, P.C. may be able to help you. Fill out a questionnaire so we can understand your claim. 

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