A recent Kansas City Star article highlights a federal jury verdict helmed by our very own, Katherine Myers and Sarah Liesen. The jury found that our client, a Black firefighter, had been discriminated and retaliated against by his employer, the Unified Government of Wyandotte County/Kansas City.
Steve Vockrodt at the Kansas City Star reported:
The verdict caps off more than three years of litigation after Harris filed his lawsuit in 2018. The Unified Government had accused Harris of double dipping when he submitted time sheets for seasonal work he did at summer youth camps for its parks and recreation department while he was scheduled to work for the fire department.
But Harris’ lawyers — Katherine Myers and Sarah Liesen — succeeded in convincing the jury that the double-dipping investigation was a pretext for firing their client after he raised complaints about racial discrimination he faced while working in the KCKFD.
While this may seem like a positive outcome for our client, it is a reminder that litigation can often take years to see through to completion. This specific case took over three years to reach a conclusion that our client was satisfied with. Had this case been settled at any point along prior to the jury verdict, the institutions that were found to have discriminated and retaliated against our client would never have been publicly held accountable for their actions. If you would like to discuss any situation of discrimination or retaliation in confidence, please contact us today.