Last week, WSH Founding Member Joseph H. Serota and Partner Matthew H. Mandel achieved a significant victory for the City of Homestead in a high-profile case brought by a former city employee. Circuit Court Judge Jorge E. Cueto dismissed former city administrator Johanna Faddis’ lawsuit against the city and its elected officials finding that Faddis lied under oath multiple times and thereby forfeited her right to seek relief from the court.
The City of Homestead had terminated Johanna Faddis and her supervisor, City Manager Mike Shehadeh. Shehadeh brought suit against the city for breach of contract, and Faddis provided testimony in that case. In her deposition in Shehadeh’s case, Faddis explicitly stated that Shehadeh did not sexually harass her when she was employed by the City. However, she later testified in her own lawsuit that Shehadeh did sexually harass her. Judge Cueto concluded that Faddis had perjured herself and entered a Final Judgment Striking the Pleadings of Faddis, thereby dismissing the action.
Chaired by Matthew H. Mandel, WSH’s Litigation Division has extensive experience defending municipalities in all areas of liability. The Division has successfully defended elected officials, employees, individual departments, branches and divisions in both State and Federal court at the trial and appellate level. Our Appellate Practice Group, chaired by Edward G. Guedes (who provided significant support in the Faddis case), handles dozens of appeals generated each year by our trial practice. In addition, our Labor and Employment Law Group routinely represents public employers against claims brought under numerous State and Federal employment laws.
You can read a copy of the Final Order here.
To read more about the City’s victory in the Daily Business Review, please click here.
Author(s): Matthew H. Mandel & Brooke P. Dolara
