Victory Against Business Owner Who Evaded Sexual Harassment Lawsuit: In a Hennepin County court on September 9, 2021, Baillon Thome Jozwiak & Wanta LLP attorneys Joni Thome and Scott Moriarity won a judgment against a business owner who fraudulently evaded a sexual harassment lawsuit. Joni won a judgment against the business in August 2018. At first the BTJW team was unable to collect the judgment, but through her work in another case, Joni discovered that the owner changed the name of his business in order to avoid the judgment. Joni and Scott then sued the owner under Minnesota’s “voidable transfers” law. Because of their tenacity pursuing the business owner, the owner and others involved must pay more than $80,000. For more details, see the court records in Madison v. Leger, No. 27-cv-20-9891 (Minn. Dist. Ct.). Congratulations to Joni and Scott on this well-deserved victory.
SJ Win for Employee on Claim of MHRA Retaliation: Firm founding partner Joni Thome defeated summary judgment in a case pending in Watonwan County in Minnesota where the judge denied defendant’s motion for summary judgment in Deidre Hruby v. Madelia Community Hospital., No. 83-CV-20-93 (Dist. Ct. Minn. September 8, 2021) on claims of retaliation under the Minnesota Human Rights Act. In its Order, the court found that Plaintiff Hruby presented evidence to show that there are genuine issues of material fact as to whether her termination was a pretext for unlawful retaliation following her filing of a charge with the EEOC and due to her association with her gay son. The judge specifically denied defendant's declaration that there were no genuine issues of material fact as to whether defendant's alleged reasons for termination are pretext for retaliation. The trial schedule for this matter is pending.
Joni M. Thome is a founding partner of Baillon Thome Jozwiak & Wanta LLP. For nearly thirty years, she has focused her practice working on behalf of employees who have been wrongfully terminated from their jobs due to discrimination, harassment and/or retaliation. Joni has been certified as an Employment Law Specialist since 2010 and has been repeatedly named to the lists of Minnesota's Top 50 Woman Super Lawyers, Top 100 Super Lawyers and Best Lawyers in America.
Scott Moriarity is a partner at Baillon Thome Jozwiak & Wanta LLP and a fierce litigator in complex employment and class action disputes throughout the United States. Scott has formulated winning strategies in major employment and products liability cases, helping ordinary employees and consumers vindicate their rights against large, well-funded opponents. Scott was named to the list of 2021 Super Lawyers and scored a trial victory in 2020 for an employee on claims of fraud and breach of contract.
