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Successes in the Year 2000
Aaron Maduff had handled several civil rights and employment cases along with other cases in the years preceding the opening of his own firm. However, in late 1998 he realized that if he wanted a full time civil rights and employment practice he would have to open his own firm. The Law Offices of Aaron B. Maduff therefore opened its doors in April 1999. Meanwhile, Michael Maduff, who had spent his career in the financial industries and later in the practice of commodity and securities law had retired from the practice of law in 1998. In late 1999, seeing the Aaron’s developing practice, Michael came out of retirement and the firm became Maduff & Maduff. Because of its growth the firm could not fit into the small office in which Aaron Maduff had started and it moved into larger space with a colleague and well known employment lawyer, Edna Selan Epstein.
The following cases came to verdict, judgment, or settlement in the year 2000 and before. Because of the sheer number of cases, we have tried to limit these success pages to the few most interesting ones. Please note that cases can take anywhere from a few months to several years to reach their conclusions.
United State District Court (N.D. Ill.)
97 C 3872
(Civil Rights – § § 1983, 1985)
Our client, a high school sophomore, had been selected to join her High School's elite marching band. Prior to the start of school, in August of 1996, she attended a band sponsored trip to Central Illinois. Her allegations included, among other things, that during that trip she was subjected to numerous indignities culminating in a ritualistic KKK style induction ceremony complete with a bonfire and people dressed in white robes and masks. We settled the case to her satisfaction.
United States District Court (N.D. Ill.)
96 C 1369
(Disability - ADA)
Our client was a social worker for the Department of supportive services. Her work required her to do a great deal of driving. However, because of an accident that had happened several years earlier, she suffered from severe back injuries, making extended periods of sitting very painful, and made walking even short distances difficult. Although she requested several accommodations from the department, including an ergonomically correct work station and a geographic adjustment for her caseload to lessen her driving requirements (which had been as much as four hours per day), the Department refused, causing her to take medical leave and eventually quitting. We settled the case to her satisfaction.
United States District Court (N.D. Ill.)
96 C 0979
(Disability - ADA)
Our client had been a computer analyst for division of a major U.S. firm. He was suffering from Obstructive Sleep Apnea, a condition which caused him to wake up several times each minute while sleeping at night, resulting in lack of sleep, and causing him to fall asleep while at work. His claim was that upon learning that he had this disability, and that he was in the process of getting treatment for it, his employer terminated his employment. We settled the case to his satisfaction.
United State District Court (N.D. Ill.)
95 C 3816
(Race Discrimination – Title VII)
Our client, an African-American, had been an employee of a U.S. Deptartment of Energy Laboratory for more than 20 years working his way up from cafeteria worker while in high school, to nuclear scientist and safety instructor. In 1994 the Laboratory hired a white male to work with him, with the same job classification and a salary of $20,000 more per year. We settled the case to his satisfaction.
United States District Court (N.D. Ill.)
93 C 4826
(False Arrest – § 1983)
Our clients alleged that they were sitting at home watching television when ten police officers broke into their apartment and arrested them for possession of heroin. At the time, the officers seized a plastic bag containing 240 grams of a white powdery substance. Neither man was able to make bail and they remained in jail. Seven days later, laboratory tests on the substance came back as non-dairy coffee creamer. However, rather than releasing them immediately, they were left in jail for more than 20 more days until the next court hearing. We settled the case to their satisfaction.
Cases were also settled while pending before the EEOC and IDHR.
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