Any termination of employment in violation of federal and state anti-discrimination laws is termed wrongful termination. Recently, a city clerk in Grand Rapids, Michigan filed a wrongful termination lawsuit of $1 million against the Mayor and the city government for violation of her civil rights guaranteed under the Constitution.
She alleged that she was terminated on the basis of race and gender in September, 2013, in spite of performing well in her job and receiving accolades for notable achievements. The official reason for termination was cited as a job performance issue, though in the past she had been recognized for commendable service, significant community outreach and increased voter registration.
Soon after termination, she filed a complaint for racial and sexual discrimination with the Michigan Department of Civil Rights. Thereafter she received permission to sue for wrongful termination. It has been alleged that Grand Rapids has been historically employing a negligible number of African Americans, which led to the curtailment of rights of the victim under equal protection laws.
The victim is claiming compensation for mental agony, emotional distress, disgrace and loss of professional reputation due to wrongful termination. Every victim of wrongful termination has the right to claim compensation not only for loss of income but also for mental pain and suffering caused due to such act of discrimination.
If you have been recently terminated and you are of the opinion that the termination is a result of discrimination at the workplace, you may want to consider approaching a local lawyer. A lawyer is best placed to guide you with filing a suit to claim your rights.
Source: Wzzm13.com, “Former city clerk files $1 million discrimination suit,” Dec. 16, 2014