Confidential Settlements

Here’s a look at some of the more interesting confidential settlements of 2015:

Marzette and Dunmire v. Anheuser-Busch Inc., et.al.

St. Louis Circuit Court

A pair of female security guards sued their former employer and their supervisors at the St. Louis beer empire on the grounds that they were treated unfairly due to being women. The plaintiffs’ contentions included that they were assigned inferior work vehicles compared to male guards and were not allowed to rotate among job assignments or train for preferred positions. The suit also contended that women were disciplined more severely than male counterparts and that male guards were allowed to use vulgar and degrading terms to refer to women. The parties settled for a confidential amount a few weeks before a scheduled trial.

Harris v. Sweetie Pie’s Upper Crust

St. Louis Circuit Court

A former employee sued Sweetie Pie’s for discrimination, claiming she was fired after declining to participate in a prayer session at work. Sweetie Pie’s management claimed she was terminated for cursing within earshot of customers and not following the dress code. Sweetie Pie’s is a popular soul-food restaurant and subject of the reality show “Welcome to Sweetie Pie’s.” The parties settled for a confidential amount a few days before a scheduled trial.

Jones v. African Methodist Episcopal Church Inc, et.al.

St. Louis Circuit Court

Brenda Jean Jones reached a confidential settlement with the Philadelphia-based African Methodist Episcopal Church and its bishop over sexual abuse that she alleged occurred at a St. Louis church. Jones worked as a minister at Wayman AME Church in St. Louis when she said pastor Frederick McCullough began making sexually explicit comments to her and engaging in other behavior, like showing her a photo of his genitals and touching her inappropriately. Jones settled her suit with the AME headquarters, but a suit against McCullough remains ongoing. The dollar amount is confidential, but Jones’ attorney said the settlement agreement stipulated that Jones be allowed to return to the Wayman congregation to preach and that the congregation publicly apologize to her on behalf of its members. Ministers in the church’s Fifth District must also take at least eight hours of annual sexual harassment training.

Claggett v. Sableman

St. Louis Circuit Court

Plaintiff Sherry Claggett was crossing a street in downtown St. Louis with a walk signal when she was struck by media law attorney Mark Sableman’s car. The lawsuit originally contended that Sableman had refused to exit his car to help her and that he had been using his cell phone, but eyewitnesses later equivocated. Sableman said that he exited his car immediately, stayed with Claggett while onlookers called 911 and cooperated with law enforcement. Cell phone logs also indicated the attorney had not been on his phone at the time of the incident and a photo that he took of Claggett indicated he had in fact exited his car to help her. Claggett had broken bones in her left leg and in her left eye socket, and she was knocked unconscious and diagnosed with traumatic brain injury. The parties settled out of court in March.

Borchardt v. Frazier

Livingston County Circuit Court

A Missouri woman settled with her ex-husband’s landlord after a smoldering fire claimed the lives of her two children and their father. Robert Borchardt extinguished a kitchen fire on August 2012, but the blaze reignited after Borchardt and his children went to bed. The house was filled with carbon monoxide and smoke, which led to the deaths of the three family members. The house lacked working smoke detectors and carbon monoxide detectors. The plaintiff contended the landlord was negligent for failing to provide proper fire safety equipment to the rental property, which is required under local ordinance. The landlord contended the lease shifted that responsibility to Borchardt. The case settled in mediation in November.