San Diego Injury Lawyer Blog

Earlier today, San Diego Superior Court Judge Patricia Cowett ordered Starbucks to pay $100 Million to its' California baristas in back tips and baristas that had been wrongly directed to shift supervisors. In addition, Starbucks' shift supervisors were enjoined from sharing in future tips.

Judge Cowett found that the sharing of tips with shift supervisors violated state law. Starbucks called the ruling "unfair" and "beyond all common sense and reason."

The lawsuit started after a La Jolla barista complained about shift supervisors sharing the employee tips left in the front counter tip jar. After filing suit, a class of nearly 100,000 past and present Starbucks baristas was certified.

Posted by Ross Jurewitz | Permalink | Email This Post

Posted In: Employment Law

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On December 11, 2007, a former Chula Vista third grade teacher won a judgment of more than $1 million after a jury decided that she had been wrongfully terminated due to becoming pregnant.

Danielle Coziahr was a third grade teacher at Silver Wing Elementary School in Otay Mesa from 2004-06. She was "probationary", meaning that she had not obtained tenure at her position. Although the Chula Vista School District can generally choose not to renew teaching contracts for any reason, a jury decided that the real reason Ms. Coziahr was let go was because she is a woman and she was pregnant.

The jury awarded Coziahr $1,012,720 with the largest portion being future economic loss due to future lost wages. Coziahr presented evidence that she had been effectively blackballed and could not obtain another teaching position.

Ms. Coziahr provided an interview to local media. The extent of the discrimination that she suffered was inexcusable and Ms. Coziahr rightly feels justified.

Posted by Ross Jurewitz | Permalink | Email This Post

Posted In: Employment Law , Verdicts

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