Representing a Church in an Employment Dispute

January 01, 2010

Farrell Fritz lawyers have devoted their time and expertise to an area church that had been involved in a protracted dispute with a former employee. After voluntarily resigning her position with the church, the employee filed a claim for unemployment insurance benefits, which generally are only available to employees who are dismissed by their employer.

The employee claimed that she had been constructively discharged because she refused to engage in what she alleged to be questionable accounting activities. Steven Davi, from the firm’s employment practice group, disputed the employee’s claim on behalf of the church, and prevailed. The former employee then appealed the denial of benefits through two successive rounds of administrative hearings within the New York State Department of Labor. Farrell Fritz prevailed at each level.