Tueth Keeney attorneys Ian P. Cooper and Amy Clendennen recently represented Metropolitan Community College, Kansas City's largest higher education institution, in the sucessful defense against a disability discrimination and retaliation suit brought by a former employee under the Missouri Human Rights Act (MHRA). The employee, a facilities supervisor and Iraq war veteran, claimed that he was discharged in February of 2007 because of a disability related to his military service (PTSD).
Prior to trial, Plaintiff demanded $1 million to settle his claims. During trial, Plaintiff's counsel requested the jury to award Plaintiff $1.2 million in actual damages, and punitive damages against the College of $9 million. Following an 8-day trial in Jackson County Circuit Court in Kansas City, the jury returned a defense verdict, in favor of the College. In light of recent verdicts for employees under the MHRA, including several verdicts for millions of dollars, this verdict is especially important for Missouri employers and educational institutions.
Ian Cooper is a founding Shareholder of the Firm of Tueth, Keeney, Cooper, Mohan & Jackstadt P.C. Prior to founding the Firm, Ian was a partner at Blackwell Sanders Peper Martin (now Husch Blackwell Sanders, LLP) in its St. Louis office. Before entering private practice, Ian served as Law Clerk to the Hon. James F. Warren of the Texas Court of Appeals, First Supreme Judicial District, in Houston, Texas from 1984-1985.
Ian practices in the areas of employment, higher education, commercial and tort litigation. Ian has tried numerous jury and bench trials in federal and state courts in Missouri, Illinois, Texas and Arkansas. Ian has served as lead counsel in significant employment, tort and commercial cases, including class actions and other complex litigation.
Amy Clendennen practices primarily in the areas of education, litigation, labor and employment law. Amy has extensive experience advising employers on human relations and labor policies. She has litigated claims in state and federal courts in Missouri, Illinois, California, and New York. Amy has also represented clients in administrative proceedings before the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the National Labor Relations Board, the Missouri Human Rights Commission and the Illinois Department of Human Rights.
Tueth Keeney maintains one of the largest and most successful higher education law groups in the Midwest. Our higher education practice includes representation of numerous colleges and universities throughout Missouri and Illinois. In addition, the Firm is one of approximately twenty law firms in the nation that have been appointed to act as Select Counsel to represent higher education institutions insured by United Educators Insurance Risk Retention Group, Inc., the nation's largest insurer of colleges and universities. The attorneys in the Firm's higher education group provide a full range of services to colleges and universities, ranging from day-to-day counseling on legal issues, to representation in complex litigation.
Tueth, Keeney, Cooper, Mohan & Jackstadt P.C. has successfully represented a number of businesses, large and small, throughout the Midwest in labor and employment matters. Our broad range of experience includes employment discrimination litigation, wage-hour investigations, affirmative action revision plans development, INS audits, and a variety of traditional labor matters.