ORLANDO -- In a federal lawsuit, an ex-professor claims University of Central Florida fired her for her refusal to teach from the textbook, Guide to Culturally Competent Health Care in her classroom. Nancy Rudner Lugos lawsuit claims the best-selling book contains offensive racial, ethnic and other stereotypes about selected cultures. In the suit she claims she was wrongfully terminated upon her complaints to school officials. Lugo was a tenure-track professor at the UCFs College of Nursing. Lugo said in her suit that students also felt the book is offensive. After refusing to use the book in 2008, Lugo said she received poor work evaluations and letters of non-appointment. A UCF statement said the lawsuit is without merit. … [Read more...]
Employment expert: E-discovery among hot hiring areas
MIAMI -- Employment for attorneys is looking strong approaching 2011, particularly in the areas of e-discovery, labor and employment, intellectual property, and litigation, according to a prominent legal employer. Miami-based Charles Volkert, executive director of Robert Half Legal, said that while the economy is still rocky, the legal field is hanging tough with just under 2 percent unemployment nationally. Support staffers in law are seeing 4 percent unemployment across the country. Volkert said research done by his employment firm indicates: -- 33 percent lawyers surveyed planned to hire -- 2 percent planned to cut -- 83 percent of respondents are confident growth What were seeing is an uptick in legal hiring, Volkert said. Were seeing an increase in full-time hiring as well as use of part-time and temporary employees. Volkert said companies are hiring on the corporate … [Read more...]
Senate Republicans Join Lawsuit on Healthcare
GANNETT WASHINGTON BUREAU WASHINGTON The Senates top Republican is recruiting colleagues to join him in supporting Floridas challenge to the federal health care reform law. Republican leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky plans to file a brief arguing the new law is unconstitutional because it requires everyone to buy insurance. "For the first time, the Congress is not regulating an economic activity in which its citizens have chosen to engage, but rather is mandating that its citizens engage in economic activity that they purchase a particular product ... and it would punish those who make a different choice," McConnell wrote to his colleagues Tuesday. "I hope you will join me in arguing to the court in the attached brief why that should not happen." The argument closely follows a lawsuit Florida Attorney General Bill McCollum filed in U.S. District Court in Pensacola on behalf of 19 … [Read more...]
Two Florida Members of Congress File Federal Lawsuit on Redistricting Reform
Courtesy of Ballot Access News Two members of the U.S. House of Representatives filed a federal lawsuit to overturn the Florida redistricting measures that passed last week. Seethis story. The two members are Democrat Corrine Brown and Republican Mario Diaz-Balart. The measures do not remove the power to draw district boundaries from the legislature, but they require the legislature to draw plans that do not favor any particular incumbent, and also plans that do not favor any particular political party. The two plaintiffs argue that this violates the Voting Rights Act. The case is Brown v State of Florida, southern district, 1:10-cv-23968. Thanks to Justin Levitt and Rick Hasen for the case name and case number. … [Read more...]
Cassidy: I Woke Up in Jail This Morning
ST. LUCIE COUTY -- The Partridge Family star David Cassidy was arrested Wednesday night for driving under the influence. Cassidy,who portrayedKeith Partridge on the 1970s mega-hit TV show loosely based on The Cowsills, was pulled over by the Florida Highway Patrol after he allegedly continually swerved his Mercedes-Benz off Florida's Turnpike. Cassidy, who is 60, allegedly told police he had a glass of wineat lunch and took a Hydrocodone around 3:30 p.m., according to the police report. Hydrocodone is also known as Vicodin. Reportedly abottle of bourbon also was found in Cassidy's white Mercedes. Cassidy was a teen idol who rocketed to stardomfrom the showon whichhe portrayed the lead singerand oldest sonin anall-American familyrock band. … [Read more...]
