In Jowers v. Lakeside Family & Children Services , Lynn Jowers claimed his former employer, Lakeside Family & Children Services, was guilty of employment discrimination on the basis of race, sex and disability.
Jowers first filed two discrimination suits in federal court, but one was dismissed as untimely while the other was dismissed on the merits -- as the court found Lakeside offered a "legitimate, nondiscriminatory reason for terminating [Jowers'] employment for cause." Jowers then filed a case in the New York County Civil Court and that case was also dismissed.
On appeal, the Appellate Term, First Department, found Lakeside entitled to relief in its favor.
Jowers, who helped abused and underprivileged children, claimed on an employment application he hadnt been convicted of a felony within the prior seven years but, in actuality, had a record of selling a controlled substance on or near school grounds. The AT1 though that misrepresentation comprised a sufficient nondiscriminatory basis for his termination.
Was that the truth?
To download a copy of the Appellate Term's decision, please use this link: Jowers v. Lakeside Family & Children Services