In Massachusetts and other states, employees have basic established rights. There are an abundance of laws that exist to protect workers from things such as harassment, discrimination and retaliation. However, these laws do not stop some employers from harassing workers and treating them unfairly. What can be done if employment is lost as a result of retaliation and/or harassment? A man from another state faced a scenario like this, and he has taken legal action by filing a wrongful termination lawsuit against his former boss.
The plaintiff was hired by his county’s sheriff’s office and worked as a bailiff for an associate judge. According to the lawsuit, the plaintiff made plans to run for sheriff in a coming election. The plaintiff claims that his boss, who was the current sheriff of the county, heard about the planned campaign for sheriff and met with him seven times over a three-month period to express opposition to the plaintiff’s plans. The sheriff also tried to convince the plaintiff to remove his name from consideration for sheriff, the lawsuit claims.
Allegedly, after refusing to remove himself from the race, the plaintiff was fired. The plaintiff alleges he was wrongfully terminated and that his First Amendment rights were violated. He claims that along with lost employment and income, he also suffered public humiliation and embarrassment.
Unfortunately, scenarios like this are not uncommon in America these days. Workers in Massachusetts may be unaware that there are laws to protect them from unfair acts in the workplace. Victims can take matters into their own hands. A successful wrongful termination lawsuit could result in a significant monetary award that can be used to offset any loss of income.
Source: news-leader.com, “Alleging discrimination, fired bailiff sues Stone County, sheriff Doug Rader“, Claudette Riley, May 16, 2017