Articles Posted in Uncategorized

Published on:

Capture
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.

Published on:

IMG_E26861-225x300
Dr. William Leamon Madison alleged race discrimination and retaliation in a lawsuit filed by Williams Oinonen LLC, which was featured on the news here and here and here and here and here and here.

Dr. Madison, former Principal at Colquitt County Schools is alleging race discrimination and retaliation having lost his job after he spoke out against racial injustice in an email to his staff shortly after the murder of George Floyd. The EEOC is concurrently investigating this matter.

Dr. Madison was a hometown hero in Colquitt County, graduating as a star football athlete, then working his way up for nearly two decades from a paraprofessional all the way to Principal. For the past 17 years of his entire career, Dr. Madison received good performance evaluations. All of that changed after Dr. Madison sent an email to his teachers and staff Cox Elementary after the murder of George Floyd. In his email, Dr. Madison encouraged the staff to be supportive of students, as well as speaking out against racial injustice in a positive affirming way. The superintendent summoned Dr. Madison to his office. The superintendent informed Dr. Madison that several school board members were upset at his email and called for his job. Emboldened, a teacher told Dr. Madison, “We’re going to lynch you.” Dr. Madison reported this hate crime to the central office only to be told he could write the teacher up. Three days later, the board decided to terminate Dr. Madison’s employment in violation of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 in addition to other federal civil rights laws prohibiting race discrimination and retaliation.

Published on:

EB1_2141-Edit-300x200
Check out Atlanta Women’s Magazine this month’s feature article.

Ms. Oinonen was asked by Atlanta Women’s Magazine: “Which woman inspires you and why?” to which she responded:

“Women lawyers who have gone into public service in either the executive, legislative, or judicial branches have inspired me. People like Hillary Clinton, Kamala Harris, and Ruth Bader Ginsberg to name just a few….I think the trick is finding the good in others that you can seek to emulate while learning to avoid shortcomings and mistakes. All of us have good/bad, strength/weaknesses and we can all learn from each other… the women that are a part of our law firm are an incredible inspiration to me. I am grateful to have the opportunity to work with Esther, Muna, Michele, and Chanel. We all make a great team.”

Published on:

After an intense three day OSAH hearing before the Administrative Law Judge, Good Georgia Education Lawyer obtained a win for educators in a PSC (Georgia Professional Standards Commission case) that was prosecuted by the Attorney General for the State of Georgia.

In the ALJ’s decision which can be read here, the Court completely reversed the Georgia Professional Standards Commission to revoke the educator’s license certification.

Published on:

LAna-Foster-167x300

Williams Oinonen LLC had the privilege of representing Dr. Lana Foster in several race discrimination and employment matters. Her case was settled with the EEOC and in addition to the monetary settlement, requires her former employer to establish a recruitment plan for increasing the number of qualified Black applicants, to create a hiring and recruitment procedure that will incorporate nondiscriminatory hiring practices, and to institute professional training relating to Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

Said Dr. Foster: “I couldn’t let a day go by without thanking God for what you have done for my family and me! Thank you for giving me the best gifts ever–my name back, my livelihood, my self respect, the five lawsuit wins, and my life along with a bonus price tag. No amount of money could ever replace what you have done for me! For your brilliant attorney skills, services, dedictation I am forever grateful and in debt! Thank you for believing in me and fighting my battle! My prayer for you is for God to continually “Bless” you and your family forever. Thank you for being my lawyer as well as my friend! Please let your husband know he has a true “Gem diamond” that God has truly blessed this world with and that is YOU! Forever Grateful, Lana Foster.”

For more information on the lawsuit, see here. If you have been subject to race discrimination, do not hesitate to contact our law firm today at 404-654-0288.

Published on:

headshot-daily-report-300x295

A long, hard battle to protect the rights of an educator falsely charged with wrongdoing at Clayton County Schools paid off when the tribunal voted to reject the recomendation of the Superintendent’s adverse action against a young teacher who was doing his best to do his job ethically and competently in the face of adversity.

Williams Oinonen LLC is proud to represent hard working educators all around South Georgia, North Georgia and in between. We especially consider it a privilege to represent Georgia Association of Educators members as well as an attorney affiliate. Stated the educator in response to his victory: “Wow!!! You are totally amazing!!! Thank you so much for all of your hard work and expertise.”

Published on:

project-south

Williams Oinonen LLC client, Project South, is representing a whistleblower who received allegations of abusive practices at the Irwin County Detention Center that violate the human rights of these immigrant women. Project South’s staff attorney Project South’s Priyanka Bhatt remarked that: “For years, advocates in Georgia have raised red flags about the human rights violations occurring inside the Irwin County Detention Center. Ms. Wooten’s whistleblowing disclosures confirm what detained immigrants have been reporting for years: gross disregard for health and safety standards, lack of medical care, and unsanitary living conditions at Irwin….We call on DHS to conduct an investigation into the Irwin County Detention Center in order to protect the health and safety of the detained immigrants and the workers there.”

Williams Oinonen LLC is proud to represent human rights organizations that promote movement building like Project South. Project South is rooted in the legacy of the Southern Freedom Movement, and has a mission of cultivating strong social movements in the South powerful enough to contend with some of the most pressing and complicated social, economic, and political problems we face today. For more information on our client’s important work, see here.

Published on:

Georgia Education Attorney wins a recent State Board of Education decision for an educator. Said Ms. Tonya Angeli, a local educator in Polk County Schools North Georgia: “I was truly honored to have you represent me and speak on my behalf, you were amazing! I couldn’t have asked for a better person. I’m honored to know you. This world needs more women and people like you. Thank you for caring so much about my family and me.”

Sboe Decision-case No. 2020-23 Ada by Julie Oinonen-Williams on Scribd

Published on:

CORRECT-SUPERLAWYERS-FINAL-229x300

For a sixth year in a row, Julie Oinonen and Mario Williams were recognized as Honorees for their work in the legal community this 2020 year.
Up to 5 percent of the lawyers in a state are named to Super Lawyers and no more than 2.5 percent in the state of Georgia are named to Rising Stars.

If you are in need for a lawyer for wrongful death, serious injury, civil rights, employment, education or business disputes, contact our firm at 404-654-0288.

Published on:

Esther-Moody-Graff-Radford-300x300

Williams Oinonen LLC is proud to announce that Esther Moody Graff Radford was named a Rising Star, an award by Super Lawyers that recognized her as an Honoree for her work in the legal community this 2020 year. Up to 5 percent of the lawyers in a state are named to Super Lawyers and no more than 2.5 percent in the state of Georgia are named to Rising Stars.

Esther Moody Graff-Radford, works in all areas of Williams Oinonen LLC’s civil litigation practice. Ms. Graff-Radford received her law degree from Emory University School of Law, where she graduated 7th in her class and served as Clerk in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia for the late Judge William C. O’Kelley. Ms. Graff-Radford is admitted to all Georgia courts, the Northern District of Georgia and the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals. One of my Ms. Graff-Radford’s favorite practice areas include assisting those with landlord-tenant justice needs and she is also passionate in pro bono representation of detained asylum-seekers.

If you are in need for a lawyer for wrongful death, serious injury, civil rights, employment, education or business disputes, contact our firm at 404-654-0288.

Contact Information