Gender Discrimination Allegations at Westside LA Ad Agency
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Joe Fotheringham, former creative director for an LA ad agency, sued his prior employer. Fotheringham alleges that the ad agency terminated his employment because he protested two male supervisors’ preference for hiring females rather than hiring the candidate best qualified for the open position regardless of gender.
Plaintiff Alleges Gender Discrimination in Hiring Process:
Fotheringham claims that two of his former supervisors, Marc Simmons and Jon Haber, alongside Giant Spoon ad agency, violated employment law. Fotheringham alleges wrongful termination, gender discrimination, hostile work environment, intentional infliction of emotional distress, and workplace retaliation. According to the Plaintiff, his supervisors, Simmons and Haber, pressured him to hire women whether they were qualified for the job or not. He was advised to hire some of the best talent after they got some women in the door.
The Plaintiff’s History with the Company:
The Plaintiff, Fotheringham, started working at Giant Spoon ad agency in March 2017. He was hired as the creative director at a point in time when the ad agency did not have a creative team. He was responsible for leading the agency’s efforts in hiring staff for both the Los Angeles and New York City offices. According to the lawsuit, he was also responsible for leading client work and building work from concept to production. In the summer of 2018, Fotheringham hired a male freelance worker. He was qualified for the position, but Fotheringham’s supervisors were not happy that the new freelancer was male and told the Plaintiff to find someone else – a woman.
The Plaintiff’s Promotion Was Blocked Due to His Gender:
At one point during his employment, Fotheringham sought promotion at the agency, but he was denied the position. He was qualified for the promotion, but when he was denied the opportunity, he was allegedly told that the company needed a woman for the job. A woman was eventually hired for the job the Plaintiff sought, and he was ultimately terminated from his position allegedly without cause.
If you have questions about how to identify wrongful termination or if you need to file a California gender discrimination lawsuit, please get in touch with Blumenthal Nordrehaug Bhowmik DeBlouw LLP. Experienced employment law attorneys are ready to assist you in any one of various law firm offices located in San Diego, San Francisco, Sacramento, Los Angeles, Riverside, and Chicago.
