In Memphis, Tenn., people are shaking their heads over the decision of Daphne Beasley, the principal of Hollis F. Price Middle College High School in South Memphis, who published the names of gay students who were “couples” on a list with heterosexual couples. The result was to “out” the students — a potentially dangerous course. Continue reading “Public Affection (No), Public Beating (Yes): Memphis Prinicipal Outs Two Gay Students”
Category: Torts
A Dartmouth lecturer Priya Venkatesan appears to have some unresolved teaching issues with her Winter ’08 Writing 5 class. Most professors deal with a rude class with stern lectures, implied grading threats, and more homework. Venkatesan reportedly took a different tack: she informed the class that she is going to sue them for discrimination under Title VII. This appears genuine, though it remains hard to believe that any rationale academic would threaten such legal action. Continue reading “Dartmouth Professor Announces Intention to Sue Students for Being Mean to Her”
Ashley Alexandra Dupre is outraged. Outraged. After working as a high-priced prostitute and been advertised on the Internet for shopping Johns, Dupre was shocked to learn that an earlier video that she made with Girls Gone Wild is being marketed by the company. Unfortunately, it may not be possible for both Dupre and GGW founder Joe Francis to lose, but here’s hoping . . . Continue reading “Spitzer Prostitute Sues Girls Gone Wild”
The Supreme Court has taken the case of a breakthrough case where the Ninth Circuit had held that a wrongly convicted man could sue the prosecutor who was allegedly responsible for injustice. The expectation is that the Court will carve out an exception for prosecutors — further insulating abusive prosecutors from responsibility for their acts. Continue reading “Supreme Court Takes Prosecutorial Abuse Case”
It may be the longest false imprisonment case in history. A 73-year-old man known only for now as Mr. F., has confessed in Amstetten, Austria to keeping his daughter (known as Elisabeth F) in a prison in his cellar for 24 years while he raped her and had children with her. They had a total of seven children and further confessed that one of the children (a twin) died and was burned in his oven. It is without question one of the most disgusting and disturbing crimes of the century. Continue reading “Austrian Father Confesses to Imprisoning and Raping Daughter for 24 Years”
This should make for an interesting lawsuit. A Florida family of five bought and boarded a cruise on the Royal Caribbean. However, when their 7-month-old child became sick the ship gave the Cortes minutes to gather their stuff (in their pajamas) and abandoned them on the island of Nassau. It costs them thousands of dollars to make it home, but the Royal Caribbean has promised (you guessed it) to give them not their money back but a credit for another enjoyable trip on the Royal Carribbean. Continue reading “The Royal Treatment: Company Abandons Family of Five on Island”
Now, here is an interesting potential torts lawsuit. Diane Sawyer interviewed a Manhattan prostitute for an ABC Special. She was assured that her identity would be concealed, but at least one person recognized her immediately: her mother. The prostitute details the accidental disclosure on her blog under the name “debauchette” Continue reading “Oops: ABC Mistakingly Outs Prostitute to Mother”
Judge Richard Posner has spent his life establishing the value of law and economics reasoning. In a recent decision, he tackled the usually fuzzy question of the value of loss of consortium – offering his own formula for calculating such damages in the case of Ronald Arpin. Continue reading “Posner on Loss of Consortium”
It is not clear whether this will be more significant as a criminal or a defamation claim. CNN personality Richard Quest was arrested on April 18th. Various news organizations reported that he was found with a small bag of methamphetamine. Bad, but not particularly interesting. However, the New York Post has alleged that Quest was also caught with a rope around his neck that was tied to his genitals, and a sex toy in his boot. A bit of a difference and one that could lead to some interesting litigation if found to be untrue or misleading. Continue reading “CNN Personality Arrested in New York in Allegedly Bizarre Circumstances”
The sinking of the Titanic has long been the subject of romance novels and history books, but now may find its way into legal works. It has long been suspected that the ship sank due to shoddy material and construction that made it more vulnerable to sinking. Now, experts have focused on the rivets — raising the possibility that this was the largest actionable personal injury case in history. Continue reading “Titanic Personal Injury Case: Titanic Found to Be Largest Product Defect Case in History”
Vancouver transit riders are being tasered. Documents show police have sued tasers on passengers 10 times in the past 18 months, including five occasions when passengers skipped fares.
It appears that the police view a taser as a standard response to a failure to obey police orders. In one case, a passenger accused of skipping the fare was tasered after he refused to let go of a railing. Continue reading “Pay or Play: Vancouver Police Taser Transit Riders Who Fail to Pay Fare”
The Ninth Circuit has held down an interesting ruling that upheld an award of $600,000 for Deanna Freitag, a former guard who alleged that she was sexual harassed by male inmates. The allegations stem from the conduct of inmates in the maximum-security prison at Pelican Bay. Continue reading “Federal Court Upholds Sexual Harassment Award for Female Guard Harassed by Inmates”
Doctors and nurses in Manila face dismissal and litigation after a bizarre filming of the removal of a can from a patient’s rectum. The three-minute film was then put on Youtube. The video below presents a similar allegation to a recent case in the United States. Continue reading “Video: Doctors Accused of Filming Surgery Face Dismissal and Lawsuit”
The case involving actor Rob Lowe now has a countersuit by one of the three former employees sued by Lowe and his wife. Former nanny Jessica Gibson charges Lowe with exposing himself and touching her inappropriately several times between September 2005 and January 2008. It is a good thing that Mary Poppins was written before nannies became litigation magnets. Continue reading “So Much For a Spoon Full of Sugar: Nanny Accuses Rob Lowe of Sexual Misconduct”
The 
Heartland Regional Medical Center in Marion, Illinois is facing a lawsuit over the switching of two babies and sending them home with the wrong parents. Notably, 17-year-old Kassie Hopkins said that she spotted the problem immediately, but Mary Jo Bathon (who had the same suspicions) went home with Hopkins baby. Continue reading “Illinois Hospital Sued over Switching Babies”