Our client Dr. Sherilonda Green prevailed at trial and obtained the original court order which directed the Defendant to assume the cost and directed the E-Discovery company to extract and produce all electronic messages, text and emails, sent between Superintendent Lairsey and Board members amongst others January 1, 2020 to present which pertain to or relate to the topics that included:
* Dr. Sherilonda Green
Sexual harassment and sexual assault in the workplace are serious issues that can have a devastating impact on victims. It’s important for employers to take proactive steps to prevent these incidents and to provide support for employees who experience them.
First, employers should establish clear policies and procedures for addressing sexual harassment and assault in the workplace. This includes providing training for all employees on what constitutes sexual harassment and assault, how to report incidents, and what steps will be taken to investigate and address reports.
Second, employers should take all reports of sexual harassment and assault seriously and conduct prompt and thorough investigations. This includes providing support for the victim, such as offering counseling services and time off work if needed.
Attorney Julie Oinonen was recently featured on the news featured here regarding her expertise in educator ethics investigations involving the Georgia Professional Standards Commission (PSC) which is the state agency responsible for licensing, certifying, and disciplining educators in Georgia. Among its various functions, one of the PSC’s most important duties is investigating allegations of educator ethical misconduct.
Any individual, including students, parents, colleagues, or administrators, can file a written complaint against an educator for unethical conduct. The PSC’s Investigative Division then conducts a thorough investigation to determine whether there is sufficient evidence to support the allegations of misconduct.
During the investigation, the PSC may interview witnesses, review documents and records, and make site visits. The investigation aims to determine whether the educator violated the state’s code of ethics for educators.
Esther Moody Graff Radford led oral argument with extremely compelling arguments to her brief. The Court ruled from the bench denying summary judgment on all counts and our client will be now proceeding to trial after this victory.
The Georgia Whistleblower’s Act 45-1-4 is a powerful tool for public employees who report illegal activity in the workplace. Under this law, employees who report or testify about such activity are protected from retaliation by their employers. This means that an employer cannot fire, demote, or otherwise punish an employee for speaking up about illegal activity, as long as the employee has a good-faith belief that the activity is occurring.
The Charlton County Herald recently featured Dr. Green’s victory in winning her Open Records Act at trial see here for the news story.
The citations below refer to “T” stand for the trial transcript which can be made available upon request:
Dr. Green contends the school district’s motive to withhold Open Records is to cover up systemic discrimination within the District. Evidence of discrimination is replete in the record and includes the following: For the past 136 years of Charlton County School District’s existence, a Black woman has never been hired as a school Principal or Superintendent despite being the District being approximately one-third African American in demographic. (T-197:1-9; T-426:7-16.) The current Chairman of the Board of Education Matt Sands testified that he did not think its problematic that in the 136 years of public-school existence there has never been a Black female that has been hired as a school principal (T-426:9-25; 427:1-11) stating “it’s just the fact that that’s the way it is.” (T-426:13-14.)
A race discrimination case’s new developments were featured on the six o’clock evening news. For more information, you can view this breaking news story here. Ms. Oinonen was quoted stating:
“Race discrimination is a systemic issue facing African American educators all over Georgia who are being subjected to overt and explicit discrimination. In Dr. Madison’s case, he was threatened with lynching and was told that Board members were coming after his job after he spoke out against racial injustice in a positive affirming way. This is illegal for any employer to do against anyone, regardless of their race. Title VII Civil Rights Act of 1964 prohibits employers from discriminating and retaliating against those who speak out against discrimination.
The reality is that Dr. Madison was a well-loved educator who nobly served the school district for decades. He graduated from his hometown school district as a star football athlete and successfully worked his way up to school principal. In fact, a petition signed by numerous educators and employees who worked at that school was submitted to the administration in support of Dr. Madison. It wasn’t until he spoke out against racism that he first encountered retaliation by the District. And that is an illegal violation of the Title VII Civil Rights Act of 1964 which prohibits employers from discriminating and retaliating against workers in Georgia.
“I’ve been contacted by a PSC investigator who wants me to give him a response by a certain deadline, what do I do?” This is a question we hear from administrators, teachers, and other education professionals all over Georgia on a frequent basis.
Recently, Williams Oinonen LLC represented a teacher facing a revocation of her teaching certificate. The Georgia Professional Standards Commission recommended that the teacher’s certificate be entirely revoked. The Professional Standards Commission was represented by the Attorney General for the State of Georgia and the teacher was represented by Ms. Oinonen. The Judge’s case decision which came out today rejected the recommendation of the PSC to revoke the educator’s certificate and modified it to only give the educator a warning.
When an educator calls to ask: “I’ve been contacted by a PSC investigator who wants me to give him a response by a certain deadline, what do I do?” Ms. Oinonen always recommends educators that they absolutely should not go it alone. Years ago, PSC investigators were made up of former educators. Now, most educators are former law enforcement, former Secret Service, former GBI, or former deputy sheriffs. As a result, calling them really can be like talking to the police when you are accused of a crime, meaning anything you say can be used against you. Ms. Oinonen states: “When facing a PSC charge, educators should not contact the PSC without assistance of legal counsel. Too much is at stake for an educator. Literally what is at stake is your ability to maintain gainful employment by keeping your educator’s license/certification. Thus, it is imperative that you have an attorney who can communicate on your behalf and advise you appropriately in order to help protect your rights.”
“I am about to get fired from my job,” or “I think my boss is about to terminate me, what do I do?” are questions that Williams Oinonen LLC hears from employees all throughout the state of Georgia. When facing this dilemma, the most important thing to do is to seek legal advice before taking any action at all. Depending on the type of job you have, different legal rights may apply.
In this case, Williams Oinonen LLC had five full days worth of a fair dismissal hearing that lasted for nearly half of a year. And thanks to Georgia Association of Educators, three of the top expert witnesses concerning the lawful use of CBD oil were retained. These experts testified that Mr. Blackwood was legally using CBD oil to treat an auto immune disease. Williams Oinonen LLC filed suit for unconstitutional violations by the school district which can be read about here.
Ultimately, after a long and hard fought battle, Clayton County Local Board of Education voted unanimously not to terminate Mr. Blackwood. The AJC ran a story on his victory which can be read here. Stated Mr. Blackwood:
Williams Oinonen LLC partner Mario Williams obtained a $285,000 settlement on behalf of our client Governor Henderson in a gender discrimination case against District Attorney Paul Howard. It was featured on the Daily Report front page today which can be read here.
The plaintiff in this case, former District Attorney Governor Henderson claimed he was told “the position would only be filled by a woman because some jobs are not for certain people.”
Williams Oinonen LLC is proud to represent victim of wrongful death, serious injury, employment discrimination and civil rights claims. For more information contact 404-654-0288
Mario Williams, partner at Williams Oinonen LLC, filed a class action race discrimination case against Atlanta Police Department. The Daily Report featured a front page article which can be read here.
The temporary restraint order motion and lawsuit names the city of Atlanta and its Police Chief as defendants. Chief Judge Thomas Thrash Jr. of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia is assigned to the case.
The lawsuit challenges a promotion policy that allegedly requires the police department allegedly requires that the vacant post be filled by a candidate of the same race, the TRO motion contends.
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