An Employment Discrimination and Retaliation Case in Clallam County
An employment law case out of Port Angeles made headlines earlier this summer in the Washington employment law community and in local news. According to the Peninsula Daily News, an employment discrimination charge filed with the Washington State Human Rights Commission and the United States Equal Employment Opportunity Commission in March 29 finally came to a settlement. The case highlights the role of local employment law attorneys in settling employment law cases that are before the EEOC and WSHRC.
The Charges to the EEOC and WSHRC
At the end of March, Dale Holiday, a grant coordinator for Clallam County Health and Human Services, filed a charge with the EEOC and WSHRC claiming that she was being discriminated against due to her race and her gender. Ms. Holiday claimed that she had been subjected to lower performance evaluations since the middle of 2012, and was sent a warning letter in late October of that year. She claimed that she was placed on a plan to improve her performance, and was required to make a weekly task list, despite the fact that other employees were only required to write monthly task lists. She also was denied the ability to attend the Montana Summer Institute, a training program for “Positive Community Norms.” Ms. Holiday further stated that she believed that the employment action that was being taken against her was due to the fact that her race is black and that her gender is female. She also claimed that she was a victim of unlawful retaliation due to her discrimination complaints.
The Settlement
Ms. Holiday is represented by Stephanie Bloomfield, a Tacoma lawyer who practices employment law and civil litigation. According to KONP.com, Ms. Holiday, through her attorney, and Clallam County, were able to reach a settlement in early August. The terms of the settlement were released to news media under a public records request. Under the settlement, Clallam County agreed to pay Ms. Holiday a sum of $15,000 for her employment discrimination and retaliation claims. In return, Ms. Holiday agreed to quit her job at Clallam Health and Human Services, effective the first of August. She also agreed to withdraw her charges filed with the EEOC and WSHRC. The settlement included a provision that will enable Ms. Holiday to commence a more productive future job search. The County agreed that if future employers contact it regarding Ms. Holiday’s job performance, it will confirm that she was employed and will provide the future employer with an agreed exhibit detailing the work that she did.
Through the efforts on both sides of the table, Ms. Holiday was able to reach a settlement in her employment discrimination and retaliation case. Although her charges were filed with the WSHRC and the EEOC, Ms. Holiday was still represented by counsel in the negotiation of her settlement with Clallam County. If you are, or have been, a victim of employment discrimination in your workplace, you should seek out the assistance of an experienced employment law attorney. Contact an employment law attorney atHKM Employment Attorneys today for a confidential consultation.
