Brianna Smith is a freelance writer and editor in Southwest Michigan. A graduate of Grand Valley State University, Brianna has a passion for politics, social issues, education, science, and more. When she’s not writing, she enjoys the simple life with her husband, daughter, and son.
Mexican chain restaurant Cha Cha Cha recently found itself at the center of a gender discrimination lawsuit. The suit itself was filed by Mayra Ramirez, a former Human Resources employee with the establishment and alleges she was not only “paid less than her male counterparts,” but she also “regularly endured fat-shaming and racist insults, endured physically unhealthy workplace conditions, and was later fired after taking medical leave.”
A lawsuit was recently filed in Cumberland County Superior Court against a Bridgeton police sergeant over allegations that he made “unwanted sexual contact with a female worker at a café” two years ago. According to the suit, which was filed by Vineland resident Alexandra Ficcadenti, Sgt. Luis A. Santiago “sexually and physically assaulted her.”
A class-action lawsuit was recently filed on behalf of two former Avon employees over allegations that the popular beauty company “practiced systematic discrimination against women based on pregnancy, maternity, and the rights of nursing mothers to pump breast milk at work.” The suit itself was filed by Wigdor LLP, a New York law firm in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York and takes specific aim at Avon’s branding, including its claim that it’s a “company for women.”
More than 500,000 water heaters were recently recalled after officials determined that “their gas burner screens can develop tears, posing a fire hazard.” According to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, the recall includes about “616,000 A. O. Smith Ultra-Low NOx water heaters.” The faulty water heaters were manufactured between April 8, 2011, and August 1, 2016.
Netflix Inc. and Warner Bros. Entertainment were recently hit with a lawsuit filed by the Satanic Temple. Why? Well, it turns out the organization took issue with the use of a “statue of Baphomet in the Netflix series, ‘Chilling Adventures of Sabrina.’” According to the suit, the Temple is claiming “copyright infringement, trademark violation, and injury to business.” The suit itself was filed last Thursday in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York.
A voluntary recall was recently issued by Natural Life Pet Products and Nutrisca after it was discovered that their dry dog food products contain too much vitamin D. When dog food contains too much vitamin D, it may result in vitamin D toxicity.
A wrongful death lawsuit was recently filed against a Mobile care home after an autistic man was stomped to death. The suit was filed in Mobile Circuit Court by the family of the man, Matthew Cox, who was only 21-years-old at the time of the fatal incident. According to the suit, Cox was living in the group home “when he was allegedly attacked Oct. 27 by Trent Yates, 27, an ex-convict with a history of violence and domestic abuse.” Two days after the incident, Yates was charged with murder, though that hasn’t stopped the Cox family from seeking justice.
A Hayden-area couple was recently awarded $75,000 by a North Idaho jury, ending a lawsuit the couple filed against their homeowner’s association. According to the jury, the West Hayden States First Addition Homeowners Association “engaged in religious discrimination” against the couple in a case that has been dubbed a “war on Christmas” by many news outlets.
If you’re a fan of making cakes from boxed cake mixes, this latest recall is for you. Earlier this week, Conagra Brands, the company that makes and sells Duncan Hines products, issued a recall of certain cake mixes over concerns they may be contaminated with salmonella. According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Conagra Brands decided to issue the recall shortly after a retail sample of Duncan Hines Classic White cake mix tested positive for salmonella. The company is concerned that the cake mix “may be linked to a salmonella outbreak under currently under investigation by the CDC and the FDA.”
A wrongful death lawsuit was filed by the wife of a utility worker who died in a “2017 home explosion in Millersville, PA.” The suit itself was filed by Ross Feller Casey, LLP on behalf of the woman, Kim Bouder, and it names Honeywell International, Inc. and others as defendants. In the suit, Bouder claims in the suit that the defendants were responsible for the fatal explosion. Specifically, the suit “advances claims for product liability relating to Honeywell’s Permalock mechanical tapping tee that connected the natural gas line to the Lancaster County home.”
