All firm news and articles of Brewer, Krause, Brooks, Chastain & Burrow.

employmentlaw

Over $2,500,000.00 Awarded or Settled in 2023 in First Half of the Year (through June 29, 2023).

In 2023, over $2,500,000.00 has been awarded or received by settlement for clients of Attorney Jason Lee involving sexual harassment. We have been aggressively litigating and resolving cases for our clients that involve sexual harassment and sexually hostile work environment claims. These cases are across the State of Tennessee. If you need an attorney for a sexual harassment situation to fight for you, please reach out to attorney Jason Lee at jlee@burrowlee.com or 615-540-1004.

Law

Davidson County Jury Awards $450,000.00 Against Metro Police Department for Sexual Harassment of Our Client

On June 28, 2023, a Davidson County jury awarded $450,000.00 to our client in a sexual harassment case that was filed against the Metro Nashville Police Department in February 2020. This case proceeded to trial this week and attorney Jason Lee handled the jury trial. This case was pending over 3 years (it was filed just before Covid). Our client finally got the justice she deserved from a 12 person jury of her peers with a unanimous decision. The sexual harassment of our client was by numerous police officers (over 13 police officers), several who were supervisors, in the Metro Nashville Police Department and occurred over a 4+ year period. Ultimately we prevailed at trial due to the failure of the Metro Nashville Police Department to accept responsibility for their failures to our client.

This case was tried in Davidson County Chancery Court, Docket No. 20-0219-II.  Under the Tennessee Human Rights Act, the statutory maximum that can be received by the Plaintiff is $300,000.00 due to the size of this employer. As a result, the jury verdict amount will be reduced to the $300,000.00 maximum. An additional award will be provided for attorney fees and costs under T.C.A. § 4-21-311.

 

 

Law

Three Sexual Harassment Cases Resolved for Over $300,000.00 Each in the Last 2 months – Seven Cases totaling over $1,700,000.00

Attorney Jason Lee has resolved three Tennessee sexual harassment cases in the last 2 months totaling over $300,000.00 for each case. In fact, we have resolved 7 cases in the last two months totaling over $1,700,000.00 for our clients on sexual harassment and sexual assault matters.  Some of our clients have recently reviewed the work of Attorney Jason Lee as follows:

  • Before I hired Jason I contacted 3 other attorneys who specialize in sexual harassment. All three of the other attorneys accepted my case, but I wanted to find the Best. As soon as I spoke with Jason I knew he was the guy for the job. I was a little hesitate to call a male attorney due to the nature of my case but Jason’s reviews were great, so I decided to give it shot. I am beyond grateful that I gave Jason a call. Jason is a phenomenal attorney. Jason was ALWAYS available for my phone calls, texts, and emails. Jason made sure I understood my options and explained every aspect of the process to me. Jason is very knowledgeable and always 10 steps ahead. I contacted Jason at the end of February and my case was completely resolved by end of July! If you are unfortunately in need of a sexual harassment lawyer give Jason a call as soon as possible!!
  • Jason was so great to work with. He made it so easy to get in touch with him and really made you feel comfortable and able to explain your situation. He was really there for me and never made me feel like a bother. Definitely would recommend if you happen to be in a situation of harassment as I was.
  • Best phone call I have ever made. Mr. Lee is down to earth, a great listener and the absolute best lawyer to have fighting for you. He has spent 4 years fight for me. I could not have done this without him. He is the best.

If you need assistance on a sexual harassment or sexual assault case, please call or email attorney Jason Lee at 615-540-1005 and jlee@burrowlee.com for a free consultation.

employmentlaw

Another Significant Settlement Reached After Years of Litigation in Sexual Harassment Case

Attorney Jason Lee recently reached a very significant settlement after several years of litigation in a sexual harassment case. This case was very close to going to a jury trial in Tennessee, but instead, a confidential settlement was reached before trial. Our client reviewed Jason Lee as follows:

The Best Lawyer there is.

Best phone call I have ever made. Mr. Lee is down to earth, a great listener and the absolute best lawyer to have fighting for you. He has spent 4 years fight for me. I could not have done this without him. He is the best.

If you have any sexual harassment or sexual assault situation, please contact Attorney Jason Lee at 615-540-1004 or jlee@burrowlee.com to see if he can help you with your situation.  The consultation is free.

insurancedefense

$4.72 million verdict in Tennessee sexual harassment jury trial in Knox County

In February 2022 attorney Jason Lee went to trial in Knox County Chancery Court in a sexual harassment case that was filed in 2019.  This case required significant discovery, depositions and motion practice. The Defendants failed to accept responsibility for what they did to our client and never offered any money to try to settle the case with the Plaintiff.  As a result, we had no choice but to go to trial.  A 12-person jury heard the case for five days and returned a verdict totaling $4,721,132.00.  This included damages under the Tennessee Human Rights Act for sexual harassment (including sexual quid pro quo and sexually hostile work environment) and back pay.  It also included damages for the Intentional Infliction of Emotional Distress and a very significant punitive damage award.  If you have any issues of sexual harassment in Tennessee, and you need an attorney, call our office at 615-540-1005 to discuss your situation. You can also email attorney Jason Lee at jlee@burrowlee.com.

Law

Court of Appeals Decision Reverses Trial Court Dismissal of Sexual Harassment Case in Matter Handled by Attorney Jason Lee

The Tennessee Court of Appeals reversed the dismissal of a sexual harassment case by the trial court in a matter that was handled by Attorney Jason Lee (Kelly L. Phelps v. State of Tennessee, 634 S.W.3d 721 (Tenn. Ct. App. 2021)).  The trial court ruled that the sexual harassment case could not proceed because the sexual harassment was not “in the workplace” due to the fact it occurred at a work Halloween party, after hours.   Burrow Lee, PLLC decided to appeal this ruling because the sexual harassment and sexual assault events were still significantly tied to the workplace and a narrow interpretation of Tennessee Law on this issue was not appropriate.  The Tennessee Court of Appeals agreed with the legal position we set forth in argument and by briefing.  The Tennessee Court of Appeals ultimately ruled, in a very important and extensive sexual harassment opinion, as follows:

Considering the totality of the circumstances, we hold that there is a sufficient nexus between the workplace and the harassment for a reasonable trier of fact to conclude that the sexual assaults perpetrated against Plaintiff, and the work situation that followed in the next few months, “affected a term, condition, or privilege of [her] employment.” Campbell, 919 S.W.2d at 31; Tenn. Code Ann. § 4-21-401(a)(1). A number of applicable actors favor this conclusion: the close proximity in space and time to the traditional workplace; the pressure applied to employees to attend; the roster of attendees at both parties, showing a great majority or entirety of employees; the sponsorship by Defendant of the party, including its provision of alcoholic beverages and encouragement to buy and drink them; Plaintiff’s testimony that the after-party was a “continuation” of the State sponsored party; and, as the trial court found, the “evidence that Josh Walsh sexually abused women at Paris Landing State Park prior to the Halloween party” and the “genuine dispute as to whether Defendant knew about all of Walsh’s behavior before the Halloween party.” See, e.g., Hawkins v. Anheuser-Busch, Inc., 517 F.3d 321, 341 (6th Cir. 2008) (“An employer’s responsibility to prevent future harassment is heightened where it is dealing with a known serial harasser and is therefore on clear notice that the same employee has engaged in inappropriate behavior in the past”). We vacate the trial court’s summary judgment against Plaintiff on her THRA discrimination and sexual harassment claims.

The entire Tennessee Court of Appeals ruling can be found here: https://www.tncourts.gov/sites/default/files/phelps.kelly_.opn_.pdf

The YouTube video for the oral arguments on appeal can be found here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FhwHSuV9paI

employmentlaw

$170,000.00+ settlement reached in significant Sexual Harassment case

Attorney Jason A. Lee settled a longstanding sexual harassment case that has been in litigation for several years.  His client was sexually assaulted at a work event and then the employer mishandled the sex harassment investigation.  We had to litigate this case hard due to the failure of the employer to take responsibility for their actions.  The client review for this work was the following:

I was sexually assaulted by a supervisor during my employment for a large corporation. I made a claim afterward and filed all the proper paper work with HR. I was left in the dark feeling discouraged and unheard after months of working in what became a hostel work environment. I felt the need to reach out for some legal advice to see if this was proper protocol not really realizing legal advice was exactly what I NEEDED! Making the choice to contact Jason Lee was one of the best things I’ve ever done. There are no words that can truly express my gratitude for the trust he instilled back into me after everything I experienced. We had our first conversation over the phone and immediately I was 100% convinced that Jason’s compassion and knowledge would give me the strength to fight for what I know is right. Within days he started working and things started changing. Finally I started feeling heard! Let me just say never did I imagine how hard he would fight for me, but over the last few years he has stood in my corner so here I am praising the rock I needed to stay strong through it all, Jason Lee was that rock! The whole process was one of the scariest thing I have dealt with in my adult life, and Jason was always informative, compassionate, and sensitive to how I felt about every step. Myself being a woman reporting sexual harassment and my own experience calling a Male attorney made me very uneasy at first but Mr. Lee brought back trust for me that I thought was lost.

I know it can be very intimidating for anyone to just take the first steps in reporting sexual harassment but I would like to think I made a difference by standing up for myself and hopefully helping others along the way.

Forever I will be grateful for making that phone call to get some advice! I would recommend calling Jason to anyone seeking sexually harassment help he is professional, and easy to talk too, you won’t regret it.

Reach out to Attorney Jason Lee if you have any questions on sexual harassment or sexual assault.  Let him help you through the situation.

Law

$110,000+ settlement reached in sexual harassment case

Attorney Jason Lee was able to resolve another sexual harassment case against a large Tennessee Employer.  This case was resolved after extensive discovery and depositions of the parties in this case.  Our client wrote the following review about the work of Attorney Jason Lee on this sexual harassment case:

I was totally over my head when it came to wondering if I even had a case. I was so embarrassed by what had happened to me, I didn’t even know if I could talk to anybody about what happened. I called Jason, the first thing he did was ask me if I was okay. He was very gentle with the way he asked his questions. That put me at ease. That’s how it was through this whole ordeal. He answered every question, he made sure I understood every step of the process. I would recommend Jason 100%. He is a great attorney. He’s also a great person, who truly cares about his clients. I am so thankful to have had him on my side. If you come a crossed his name, don’t pass him up.

Contact Attorney Jason Lee to discuss your sexual harassment case to see if he can help you.

insurancedefense

Over $10 Million Recovered For Clients in Last Four Years

Attorney Jason Lee has now received awards or settlements of over $10,000,000 for our clients in the last four years.  Almost all of these cases are sexual harassment cases.  We are proud of our record in fighting for women in sexual harassment situations. We do not take cases to quickly settle them.  We take cases to fight for women who have been sexually assaulted or sexually harassed and then do what it takes to hold the party responsible for their actions (usually the employer and/or the person who committed the sexual assaulted).  This sometimes means that we will spend hundreds of hours on your case and even take it to trial (the last sexual harassment trial we had resulted in a $1,600,000+ verdict for our client).   Jason Lee has now exceeded the $10 Million dollar threshold for recoveries in these plaintiff cases and he would like to help you.  Give Jason Lee a call at 615-540-1004 or email him at jlee@burrowlee.com to discuss your sexual harassment case with a free consultation.

Law

$160,000 + settlement in sexual harassment case

Attorney Jason A. Lee recently settled a sexual harassment case in litigation involving a large regional service provider company.  His client was treated inappropriately by being touched and by being consistently made a sexual object at work.  The employer ignored her reports and did nothing to protect her from the sexual harassment.  There were multiple Defendants involved in the case and they decided to resolve the case before depositions, for a very substantial sum.  The client review for this work was the following:

In June of 2019 I reached out to Attorney Jason Lee. I was scared, mad, confused and extremely discouraged about my work atmosphere. It was hard to admit and say, but I knew I needed help and I knew what was happening to me was so WRONG. I was being sexually harassed for over six and half years at my place of employment by several individuals. I contacted Jason for help. This was the best decision I have ever made! I was overwhelmed with the continual sexual inappropriate words and actions directed towards me daily at my place of work and when I reached out to Jason for help and direction, THAT’S EXACTLY WHAT I RECEIVED! Jason listened to me and my entire story from start to finish and HE KNEW EXACTLY WHAT TO DO! He represented me faithfully! He believed in me and my case and FOUGHT FOR ME! His knowledge of the law and specifically sexual harassment cases is EXTENSIVE AND EXPERT LEVEL 100 PERCENT. Jason will guide you in truth, he’s always honest with you and keeps you extremely informed of your case. Jason left no room for error and he was DILIGENT in never backing down and fighting for me! Jason always returned my calls and emails – PROMPTLY, he was never rushed on the phone and took all the time I needed to explain matters I may not understand. Attorney Jason Lee fought for me, believed me, stood by my side when I was shaky and he pressed on to victory. My case duration was about a year and I received a very nice settlement. I’m beyond grateful I chose Attorney Lee his experience and wisdom regarding sexual harassment cases and especially mine is beyond compare.

Reach out to Attorney Jason Lee if you have a sexual harassment situation in your employment.  Let him help you through the situation.