A public school district in Michigan has recently settled a wrongful termination lawsuit with its former business manager. The school’s former business manager brought the suit under the Family Medical Leave Act and charged the public school did not abide by the 12 week of leave time set under the Family Medical Leave Act and instead fired her before she was allowed to return.
The public school has settled with its former business manager for $100,000. The total is divided between the award of $43,843.50 and the cost of attorney fees, which were $47,313. In 1998 the business manager began her time at the school district. Before the suit, the business manager’s most recent contract with the school ran from July 1, 2009 to June 30, 2011. The business manager told the superintendent of the public school district at the beginning of 2009 that she was pregnant and that her due date was sometime in early July 2009. Additionally, she informed the school that because of her due date she would be taking 12 weeks of time off under the Family Medical Leave Act.
On July 8, 2009, the public school district sent a letter to the business manager that confirmed her time off and confirmed the time under the Family Medical Leave Act. The business manager began her time off on July 6, 2009 and had her child on July 8, 2009. When the business manager was on her leave time, the school continued to approach the manager with work-related questions and even required the woman to come to the public school’s facilities to solve work-related issues.
The superintendent of school informed the business manager that she would only be allowed to have six to eight weeks of leave time under the Family Medical Leave Act in early September 2009. According to the suit, the business manager informed the school that she was entitled to 12 weeks and the school then accused the manager of improperly extending her leave time. The school informed the business manager that she would not be allowed to return to work around the time she was initially scheduled to return. Eventually, the woman was terminated without cause and the suit resulted.
Source: Argus-Press, “Corunna Schools settles suit with former business manager,” Jessica Robinson, 1/25/11
