Recently firm attorneys Ian Cooper and Kate Nash won a summary judgment decision on behalf of Southern Illinois University Carbondale. The case, Milligan v. Southern Illinois University, involved a claim of same-sex sexual harassment by a male student worker at the University against a male emeritus professor. Defending the University against the claim, Ian and Kate argued that the professor's behavior, while inappropriate and contrary to University policy, did not constitute unlawful sexual harassment under Title VII or Title IX because (1) the alleged harassment was not "because of" Plaintiff's gender; (2) the alleged harassment was neither "severe" nor "pervasive;" and (3) the University's response to Plaintiff's harassment claims was both prompt and reasonable. United States District Court Judge Phil Gilbert agreed with the legal arguments that Ian and Kate advanced, granted the University's motion in full, and entered judgment in favor of SIU.
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 and Illinois. Ian has served as lead counsel in significant employment, tort and commercial cases, including class actions and other complex litigation.
Kate Nash practices primarily in the areas of education, litigation, labor and employment law. Kate has extensive experience representing private and public employers in all areas of employment law. She has experience advising employers as to all matters of human resource policy issues, specifically ensuring that employers are in compliance with state and federal labor and employment laws. She practices primarily in Missouri and Illinois state and federal courts. She has also represented clients in matters before the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the Missouri Human Rights Commission and the Illinois Department of Human Rights.
Tueth, Keeney, Cooper, Mohan & Jackstadt P.C. 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.