A large customs broker with offices all across the globe, including right here in Newark, New Jersey, was the subject of a civil rights lawsuit filed by our office on behalf of 3 African-American females. The plaintiffs, formerly employed at the Newark location, were all fired at the same time on the same day by the company. The Company claimed that the terminations were because of costs reductions. That is, reduction of the labor costs at its Newark office. However, no other employees were terminated or fired from their positions at the same time as the plaintiffs, and the company placed job listings in newspapers and on the internet right after plaintiffs’ terminations.
The allegations set forth in plaintiffs’ lawsuit, together with documents obtained in discovery, were sufficient to defeat any summary judgment motion filed by the defendant. The matter was settled prior the case reaching summary judgment.