Civil Rights
The attorneys at Layser & Freiwald have substantial experience handling civil rights and discrimination claims. These include cases against corporate and governmental entities and involve claims of discrimination in the workplace, in business, and in the conduct of government employees.
The firm has handled a range of cases, including the following:
- Settlements for inmates and guards at a New Jersey county jail who all contracted MRSA, a potentially deadly bacterial infection.
- A significant, confidential settlement for a woman who was the victim of nursing home neglect in a municipal nursing home. The conduct in question, the full details of which were uncovered during the case, were so outrageous that the state authorities cited the facility leading to claims of civil rights violations. We believe this was the first case of its kind in the country.
- A six-figure settlement against a major retailer and a New York-based security company for alleged violations of state and federal civil rights laws. The claims involved “shopping while black,” that is, claims that an armed security guard and store employees falsely accused three young African-American boys of shoplifting and then assaulted the boys.
- The firm is handling claims that state police used excessive force in detaining a young man who was having a diabetic episode and required urgent medical attention.