On June 16, 2023, a jury awarded a $6.3 million verdict in the case of Presciliano Contreras vs. Kelly Pipe Co., LLC, against a prominent industrial piping company based in Los Angeles. The trial, which unfolded in the Superior Court of California, County of Los Angeles, centered around allegations of age discrimination, workplace harassment, retaliation, and wrongful termination. The jury’s decision unanimously favored Mr. Contreras, a former IT Director, on all claims.
We are thrilled for Mr. Contreras. For over two decades, he faithfully served Defendant before his rights were egregiously violated.
Presciliano Contreras, a dedicated employee who served as the IT Director at Kelly Pipe Co., LLC for a span of 22 years, asserted that his inclusion in a 23-employee layoff in 2020 was not solely due to the COVID-19 pandemic, as claimed by the company, but rather stemmed from being targeted for his age and for his multitude of complaints regarding discriminatory and harassing incidents he endured in the workplace. Many of these incidents specifically related to his then supervisor, the company’s Chief Information Officer, who in turn selected Contreras to be part of the 2020 layoff. Mr. Contreras reached out to Shegerian & Associates when seeking legal counsel for his employment dispute.
Anthony Nguyen, Shareholder at Shegerian & Associates, commented, “Hopefully, this lights a fire in Defendant and management to better protect its employees and shows other employers that the pandemic will not be tolerated as an excuse for discrimination. This outcome ensures that employees subject to discrimination have the ability to access legal representation.”
The jury awarded Mr. Contreras $1.3 million in compensatory damages and an additional $5 million in punitive damages.
Case # 218TCV17933
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