According to the petition, the former employee, who suffers from a serious spinal condition following a 2020 fusion surgery, was hired in January 2023 and successfully performed his assigned duties. Despite this, Firmenich’s management abruptly reassigned the employee in June 2024 to a different job that physically punished the employee, and required constant heavy lifting, bending, and twisting, which directly conflicted with the employee’s known medical limitations.

Despite informing supervisors of these limitations and requesting workplace accommodations, the employee’s requests were allegedly ignored. The lawsuit further alleges a supervisor told the employee in front of coworkers that the company “would not have hired you” if it had known about the disability.

Even after both the employee and a company-designated physician advised against repetitive lifting, Firmenich allegedly refused to modify the employee’s duties. Instead, the company’s human resource officials ignored repeated complaints, suspended the employee without pay, and attempted to push the employee onto short-term disability to conceal the company’s conduct. The Missouri Human Rights Act makes it unlawful for employers to discriminate on the basis of an individual’s disability.

After reporting discrimination and retaliation, the employee was suspended and then fired. The lawsuit also alleges the company even backdated discipline in an apparent attempt to cover its tracks. The Missouri Human Rights Act makes it illegal for employers to retaliate against an employee for asserting their rights.

The employee’s attorney, Cyrus Dashtaki, said, “This is a textbook case of corporate abuse of power.” Dashtaki added, “They ignored medical restrictions, suspended him after requesting accommodations, and then fired him for refusing to stay silent. We intend to hold the company fully accountable in front of a jury.”

Dashtaki Law Firm, LLC exclusively represents employees standing up against employment discrimination based on age, race, sex, religion, national origin or disability. Please visit www.Dashtaki.com for more information.

“Being recognized as a Super Lawyer for the sixth year in a row is both humbling and motivating,” said Cyrus Dashtaki. “It reflects the hard work and dedication our team puts into every case, and the trust our clients place in us to fight for their rights in the workplace.”

Cyrus Dashtaki and Dashtaki Law Firm, LLC focus exclusively on representing employees who face discrimination based on age, race, sex, religion, national origin, and disability. For more information, visit www.Dashtaki.com.

The former employee suffered from unwanted touching, groping, explicit sexual comments about her body, vulgar statements about sex in the workplace, sexual jokes about masturbation, humiliation and embarrassment by her male managers and co-workers. The former employee was fired after she reported the sexual harassment to her managers and the company.

The employee was represented by Cyrus Dashtaki of Dashtaki Law Firm, LLC.

“No one should face sexual harassment in the workplace or be retaliated against for speaking up,” said Cyrus Dashtaki. “This judgment is a clear message to this company and its owners that allowing sexual harassment in the workplace comes with a big price tag on the window.”

Dashtaki Law Firm, LLC exclusively represents employees standing up against employment discrimination and harassment based on age, race, sex, religion, national origin, or disability.

The plaintiff, who served the Department for 27 years, claimed he faced retaliation for speaking out against discriminatory practices. The retaliation included being unfairly reassigned shifts, denial of shift swaps, and excluded from the shift commander role.

The employee was represented by Cyrus Dashtaki of Dashtaki Law Firm, LLC.

“I’m incredibly proud of this jury,” said Cyrus Dashtaki. “Their verdict reflects the values of fairness and accountability that define our community and sends a clear message: all employers, private and public, will be held accountable for violations of basic rights.”

Dashtaki Law Firm, LLC is committed to protect the rights and seek relief for all employees who are harmed by retaliation for exercising their rights under Missouri law.

Dashtaki Law Firm, LLC exclusively represents employees standing up against employment discrimination based on age, race, sex, religion, national origin, or disability.

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The plaintiff, a former training manager at AHS, alleged that in 2022, she was constructively discharged following a series of discriminatory and retaliatory actions. These included being forced to speak to a suicide hotline, enduring the humiliation of police intervention, being subjected to an unjustified 11-day suspension, reassignment of job duties, and being set up to fail at her job.

Her legal team—led by Cyrus Dashtaki and MG Warren of Dashtaki Law Firm, LLC, along with co-counsel Mark Buchanan and Nimrod Chapel—argued that AHS’s actions created a hostile work environment and violated the MHRA’s protections against disability discrimination and retaliation.

“Expressing frustration and burnout at work is a common human experience. To stereotype someone as having a mental disability because of it is both wrong and illegal,” said Cyrus Dashtaki, lead counsel for the plaintiff. “The stigma surrounding mental health issues is real, and this case highlights the harm caused by that discrimination. This jury heard the facts, saw the mistreatment my client endured, and sent a clear message: discrimination and retaliation have no place in St. Louis County.”

Dashtaki continued: “This verdict reflects the values of our St. Louis community—fairness, dignity, and accountability. It sends a clear message that employers, whether public or private, will be held responsible when they violate those principles. I’m proud of this jury for standing up for what’s right.”

Cyrus Dashtaki also commended his legal team, including Warren, Chapel, and Buchanan for their commitment and tireless advocacy.

Dashtaki Law Firm, LLC is committed to seeking relief for employees who are harmed by discrimination on the basis of disability and retaliation for exercising their rights under Missouri law. Dashtaki Law Firm, LLC exclusively represents employees standing up against employment discrimination based on age, race, sex, religion, national origin, or disability.

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Super Lawyers includes the best 5 percent or less of all lawyers in Missouri. Each year, the company selects the top attorneys from more than 70 different practice areas through a system of peer nominations, peer evaluations, and independent research. The honorees have attained the highest degrees of peer recognition and professional achievement.

“I’m extremely proud to be nominated by my peers to this exclusive list for the fifth year in a row,” said Cyrus Dashtaki. “Being recognized as a Super Lawyer in Missouri is a testament to the hard work, trial skills, advocacy, and commitment to professionalism we provide to each of our clients.”

Cyrus Dashtaki and the Dashtaki Law Firm, LLC exclusively represent employees standing up against employment discrimination based on age, race, sex, religion, national origin or disability. Please visit www.Dashtaki.com for more information.

The former employee suffered from unwanted touching, groping, having her pony-tail yanked, spanking, humiliation and embarrassment by her manager at the restaurant. The former employee was a minor when the incidents occurred.

The employee was represented by Cyrus Dashtaki of Dashtaki Law Firm, LLC.

“No one should suffer from a sexual battery,” said Cyrus Dashtaki. “Dashtaki Law Firm is committed to protecting the rights of employees in the workplace by obtaining justice for victims by ensuring their voices are heard and holding those who cause their pain accountable.”

Dashtaki Law Firm, LLC exclusively represents employees standing up against employment discrimination and harassment based on age, race, sex, religion, national origin, or disability.

The 11-year former corrections officer was fired after he reported race discrimination to human resources. The Court found that the Department’s conduct “demonstrated reckless indifference” to the former employee’s rights when it failed to investigate his complaints, permitted retaliation after he reported discrimination and filed his lawsuit, and generally ignored the issue of racial discrimination at the prison.

The employee was represented by Cyrus Dashtaki of Dashtaki Law Firm, LLC.

“Discrimination is expensive – period,” said Cyrus Dashtaki. “The Court’s Order and Judgment sends a clear message to all employers, private and public, that discrimination will not be tolerated in Missouri.”

Dashtaki Law Firm, LLC is committed to protect the rights and seek relief for all employees who are harmed by discrimination on the basis of race and retaliation for exercising their rights under Missouri law.

Dashtaki Law Firm, LLC exclusively represents employees standing up against employment discrimination based on age, race, sex, religion, national origin, or disability.

Super Lawyers includes the best 5 percent or less of all lawyers in Missouri. Each year, the company selects the top attorneys from more than 70 different practice areas through a system of peer nominations, peer evaluations, and independent research. The honorees have attained the highest degrees of peer recognition and professional achievement.

Cyrus Dashtaki and the Dashtaki Law Firm, LLC exclusively represent employees standing up against employment discrimination based on age, race, sex, religion, national origin or disability. Please visit www.Dashtaki.com for more information.

The 13-year former employee of the County’s Highway Department was fired in 2018 after he requested workplace accommodations related to his disability and reported disability discrimination to the County’s Human Resources Department.

The employee was represented by Cyrus Dashtaki of Dashtaki Law Firm, LLC. “It is particularly disturbing when the government, of all employers, refuses to reasonably accommodate an employee’s disability,” said Cyrus Dashtaki. “I am extremely proud of this St. Charles County jury. As the voice of the community, their verdict sends a clear reminder to all employers, private or public, that discrimination and retaliation will not be tolerated in St. Charles County.”

Dashtaki Law Firm, LLC is committed to seeking relief for employees who are harmed by discrimination on the basis of disability and retaliation for exercising their rights under Missouri law.

Dashtaki Law Firm, LLC exclusively represents employees standing up against employment discrimination based on age, race, sex, religion, national origin, or disability.