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At Fett Law, we handle some of Michigan’s most egregious cases of discrimination, harassment, and retaliation against some of Michigan’s largest employers. Our cases often have us take on state and local governments, including the State of Michigan. It is no wonder why people are interested when we expose these employers’ misconduct. This is why many of our cases have garnered national and local headlines. Below are just a few examples.

Ford settles with worker who sued for "vile" sex harassment at Dearborn Plant

DETROIT - After more than two years of legal battle. Ford Motor Co. has settled a sex harassment lawsuit brought by a factory work at Ford’s Deaborn plant. The worker alleging sexual harassment, Andrea Busha, filed a lawsuit for retaliation and sexually hostile work environment in June of 2019.The lawsuit alleged the sexual harassment included: Grabbing Busha's buttocks, pressing his penis firmly against her buttocks, spanking her buttocks with a metal scuff plate and grabbing her arm and attempting to make Busha feel his ....

Featured by USA TODAY, The Detroit News, The Detroit Free Press, Newsbreak, and many others.

Jackson County settles lawsuit for $ 2 Million over claims former sheriff made bigoted remarks

Jackson, Michigan - Jackson County will pay $1.65 million to settle a lawsuit brought by former sheriff’s office Lt. Tommy Schuette, who alleged Jackson County Sheriff Steven Rand mocked him for his hearing loss and created a hostile work environment with bigoted, racist and sexist comments. In 2018, Schuette sued Jackson County and Rand in federal court on claims of civil rights violations. The lawsuit claimed Rand, a “multifaceted bigot,” harassed Schuette for his hearing loss and made disparaging comments about people’s gender, race, ethnicity, sexuality, disabilities and weight ....

Featured by MLive, The Detroit Free Press, CBS News, US News, and many others.

Jackson County, Sheriff, sued for disability harassment

JACKSON – A Jackson County Sheriff’s lieutenant is suing Jackson County alleging he was harassed for his hearing disability and retaliated against because he reported misconduct by Jackson County Sheriff Steven Rand. Tommy Schuette, alleges that Rand would refer to him as “deaf and dumb” or “special needs,” on a daily basis, creating a hostile work environment. The lawsuit also alleges that Rand is a “multifaceted bigot” who uttered “numerous slurs in the presence of many individuals” targeting gays, women, African-Americans, Hispanics ....

Featured by The New York Post, The Detroit News, The Detroit Free Press, MLive, and many others.

um settles retaliatory termination lawsuit for $375,000

ANN ARBOR – A lawsuit accusing the University of Michigan Health System of illegal, retaliatory firing of an administrator raised concerns over racial profiling at campus hospitals has been settled. Carmen Green, who is black, argued she was terminated for presenting hospital leadership with research indicating “UMHS staff disproportionately – 2.5 times more often - reach for the phone to call Security when confronted with Black visitors or patients that become emotional in UMHS emergency rooms, intensive care waiting rooms, surgical waiting rooms ....

Featured by Atlanta Black Star, The Detroit News, MLive, CBS Detroit, and many others.

$1.572 million wrongful termination award 2nd largest in Michigan this year

ANN ARBOR - In this action for breach of employment and stock rights agreements the parties entered into an employment contract and an extremely poorly written stock rights agreement. Neither the Claimant nor the president of the Respondent were legally sophisticated. Both were experienced, successful salesmen. The stock rights agreement provided for AAA commercial arbitration while the employment agreement provided for arbitration under the AAA employment rules....

Featured by MI Lawyers Weekly

Jury awards former Michigan prison warden $488,000

LANSING – A jury awarded a former state prison warden $488,000 in damages Wednesday after finding supervisors retaliated against him for defending a female subordinate who complained about sexual discrimination and harassment. An eight-member Ingham County Circuit Court jury deliberated about seven hours over two days before returning a 6-2 verdict in favor of former Central Michigan Correctional Facility warden Jeff Larson. Larson, who retired in 2017, took a $38,000 pay cut when he was demoted following a “gotcha” investigation ....

Featured by Yahoo!, The Detroit News, WILX 10 LANSING, and many others.

Jury awards damages for sexual harassment

ANN ARBOR – Louis McWherter’s lawsuit against the City of Ann Arbor sends a clear message to women: It’s OK to report sexual harassment in the workplace and it’s illegal for employers to retaliate against them. So says attorney James Fett after a Washtenaw County Circuit Court jury awarded $255,000 in damages for his client, McWherter, on Friday. McWherter, a city parking referee sued Dean Bowerbank, an operations analyst in the Ann Arbor transportation department, for sexual harassment....

This case was televised nationally on Court TV and featured in the Ann Arbor News, among many others.

Detective sues MSP for sexual orientation, gender, and race discrimination

SOUTHFIELD – The Michigan State Police are being sued for discriminating against a Michigan State Police Detective by denying her a promotion because of her sexual orientation, gender, and race. The lawsuit filed against MSP director Joseph Gasper and commander Keyonn Whitfield claims Detective Larissa LeMay was passed up for a promotion for being gay. The lawsuit alleges Whitfield openly bashes gay people and said they shouldn’t be cops during a presentation ....

Featured by The Detroit News, Fox 2 Detroit, and many others.

state worker settles disability discrimination lawsuit

LANSING – A Michigan Department of Health & Human Services employee has settled her disability discrimination lawsuit against the department. The lawsuit alleges state officials discriminated against her because she has multiple sclerosis. Becky Harte, a 39-year old DeWitt woman, had worked for the state since 2000. She sought $1.3 million in her filing in Ingham County Court filing. She accused her supervisors of disability discrimination by denying her promotions and harassing her about taking FMLA intermittent leave ....

Featured in The Detroit News, The Detroit Free Press, The Lansing State Journal, and many others.

ford settles race, sex, and age discrimination suit for $10.5 million

DETROIT - In a nationally covered case, Ford Motor Company has agreed to pay $10.5 million to settle a class action brought by employees who alleged race, gender, and age discrimination. The suit challenged Ford Motor Company's employee evaluation system that required managers to rank their subordinates as A, B or C players. The A's represented the top 10% of the performers; the B's represented the middle 80% of the performers; and the C players were considered to be in the lowest 10% regarding performance. The consequences of receiving a C designation was that an employee would receive no raise, no bonus and a ticket out of the company if they received a C two years in a row....

Featured by FOX News, CBS News, the LA Times, the New York Times, and many others.

Ypsilanti settles discrimination claim for $270,000

YPSILANTI – the City of Ypsilanti has settled a racial discrimination case in relation to the hiring of a new fire chief for $270,000. The lawsuit, brought by attorney James Fett on behalf of Livonia Fire Captain Phil Kamm, alleges discrimination in the selection of Ypsilanti’s new fire chief. Kamm, who is white, was initially awarded the position after a rigorous selection process. However, days after the selection, a racially-charged ….

Featured by MLive, WXYZ Detroit, and many others.

Ingham County Awards $1.3 Million for Racial Harassment

LANSING - Joe Pena says he put up with racial slurs almost every workday for a decade before he sued his employer, the Ingham County Road Commission. He hoped his lawsuit would end the abuse. Last Month, he was awarded a $1.3 million jury verdict – one of several nationwide indicating workplace harassment continues despite heightened publicity for political correctness, codes of conduct and programs designed to thwart it. “If they had tried to do something to stop it, or even said they were sorry, I wouldn’t have filed the lawsuit,” said Pena, 42, of Ingham County, Michigan. “This wasn’t about the money. This was about ending the harassment.” ....

Featured by the Lansing State Journal and many others.

Harassed Christian wins settlement

LINCOLN PARK - The city’s insurance carrier has agreed to pay $115,000 to settle a lawsuit filed by a former city employee who says his supervisor and co-workers harassed him for nearly a decade for being a Christian. Lawrence Andzelik, 46, worked in the city’s Department of Public Services from 1993 and 2003 and was subjected to near-daily persecution because of his strong religious beliefs, according to two lawsuits he brought against the city over the last 13 months. He filed one suit in September 2004 in Wayne County Circuit Court and filed another in January in U.S. District Court. Both claims were identical in nature.

Featured by the News Herald

DEABORN HEIGHTS SETTLES WHISTLEBLOWER LAWSUIT

DEARBORN HEIGHTS - Parks & Recreation Deputy Director Kim Constan has filed a whistleblower lawsuit against the City of Dearborn Heights. The complaint alleged the Mayor did not appoint Constan because she reported that the Parks & Recreation Director was conducting an eBay sports memorabilia business on his city computer during working hours.

Featured by the Downriver Sunday Times

Hispanic cop wins discrimination trial

INKSTER - A federal civil jury awarded a $254,000 verdict to a Hispanic lieutenant with the Inkster police Wednesday, ruling the department discriminated against him because he was not black. Thomas Diaz sued the city in 2005, alleging the department promoted less qualified black applicants ahead of him when he was passed over for promotions to commander in 2004, deputy chief in 2006 and chief in 2003. "Naturally I'm very pleased," said a teary-eyed Diaz before embracing his lawyer, James Fett of Pinckney....

Featured by the Detroit News, among others

Jury awards over $400k in religious and pregnancy discrimination suit

DEARBORN – A former 19th District Court probation officer was awarded more than $400,000 in lost wages and benefits following a civil lawsuit that ended June 3rd. In the lawsuit against the Court and Chief Judge Mark Somers, Simone Calvas, who Somers fired in 2007, claimed her dismissal was discriminatory, and that Somers did not have just cause when he fired her....

Featured by the Downriver Sunday Times, among others

MDOC settles discrimination claims for over $460k

MACOMB COUNTY - Three white male guards who sued the Michigan Department of Corrections over alleged reverse discrimination of New Haven Correctional Facility and elsewhere have settled their claims. But the department, which is trying to resolve many cases over its now-defunct promotions policy, admits no wrongdoing and claims the payoffs estimated at $460,000 are less costly in money and emotions than a court battle.

Featured by the Macomb Daily, among others

court enters $1.1 million judgment after jury returns verdict in race, gender discrimination suit

HOWELL - A state trooper who said he was a victim of reverse discrimination has been awarded $850,000 by a jury that found in his favor in a lawsuit against the State Police. Cremonte, in addition to saying he was discriminated against for promotion, said the State Police illegally retaliated against him because he complained about the department's affirmative action policy. Cremonte, who is white, said he is just one of many troopers - including some blacks and women- who believe they have not received deserved promotions....

Featured by the Lansing State Journal, among others

Dearborn settles sex discrimination suits

DEARBORN — Two female police officers have been awarded $235,000 in a settlement agreement reached recently with the city. Lt. Karen Wilkes and Sgt. Susan Fett received $175,000 and $60,000, respectively, for their gender discrimination lawsuits filed against the department in 2007. Both officers contended that they were subject to retaliation and harassment following a 2000 discrimination filed by Wilkes that eventually was settled for $80,000. Wilkes and Fett are close friends, according to court documents, and Fett testified on behalf of Wilkes in the 2000 case....