According to the court filing, the plaintiff was hired by the St. Louis facility in May 2025 when she was three months pregnant. On June 25, 2025, she was asked by a co-worker to assist in transferring a resident weighing between 300 and 400 pounds. After safely completing the transfer, the CNA experienced pelvic cramping and reported it to management, who instructed her to obtain a doctor’s note for lifting restrictions.

The plaintiff immediately provided a medical note from her OB/GYN stating she should not lift anything over 25 pounds. Upon presenting the note to the facility’s Director of Nursing, the employee was told that the facility “does not allow or do accommodations or restrictions or light duty”.

The lawsuit details a shocking exchange where the Director of Nursing asked the pregnant worker how far along her pregnancy was and who hired her. According to the petition, the Director then explicitly stated, “If I knew you were pregnant, I never would have hired you”. Despite a charge nurse asking if the CNA could finish her shift because the facility was shorthanded, the Director of Nursing refused, ordered her to clock out and leave, and told her, “You can come back after the baby is born”.

The lawsuit alleges that McKnight Place terminated her employment that same day, despite the facility having a history of granting light-duty and lifting accommodations to non-pregnant employees.

The plaintiff is represented by Cyrus Dashtaki and Dashtaki Law Firm, LLC.

“It is completely unacceptable for a pregnant woman to be fired simply because she asked for a temporary lifting restriction,” said lead counsel, Cyrus Dashtaki. “To have a Director of Nursing look an expectant mother in the eye and explicitly say they never would have hired her had they known she was pregnant is an outrageous violation of Missouri law. We are seeking punitive damages to hold McKnight Place fully accountable for this discriminatory behavior and to ensure no other pregnant worker in Missouri faces this kind of treatment.”

Dashtaki Law Firm, LLC exclusively represents employees in employment matters involving discrimination based on age, race, sex, religion, national origin or disability, as well as retaliation. Please visit www.Dashtaki.com for more information.

Super Lawyers selects the top five percent or fewer of attorneys in Missouri through a process of peer nominations, evaluations, and independent research across more than 70 practice areas.

“I am honored to earn this recognition for employment litigation for the seventh year,” said Cyrus Dashtaki. “Our focus is always on our clients. When someone faces discrimination at work, they need an advocate who will hold large corporations accountable. That is what we do, and this award reflects the hard work of everyone at our firm.”

Cyrus Dashtaki and the Dashtaki Law Firm, LLC exclusively represent employees who face discrimination based on age, race, sex, religion, national origin, and disability. For more information or a free case evaluation, visit www.Dashtaki.com.

The case centered around Unifirst’s treatment of Caldwell following his injury. The evidence established that after Caldwell filed for workers’ compensation, Unifirst stopped providing reasonable accommodations and forced him onto Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA) leave against his wishes. Although Caldwell’s physician repeatedly advised the company that he could return to work with accommodations, Unifirst refused to let him return and ultimately terminated his employment in July of 2015.

Following a jury trial, Unifirst was found liable under the Missouri Human Rights Act (MHRA) for disability discrimination and retaliation. Rather than accept the jury’s verdict, Unifirst subjected the plaintiff to nearly a decade of litigation, forcing the case through multiple appeals and post-trial motions.

In its latest decision, the Missouri Court of Appeals dismissed five of Unifirst’s six points on appeal, noting the company failed to timely file its notice of appeal. The court upheld the trial court’s judgment in Caldwell’s favor, bringing the nearly decade-long legal battle to a close.

Caldwell was represented by Dashtaki Law Firm, LLC.

“For nearly a decade, Unifirst deployed its vast resources in an attempt to bury Scott Caldwell in endless litigation,” said lead counsel Cyrus Dashtaki, who has represented Caldwell since 2015. “They unlawfully fired a dedicated manager simply because he requested a reasonable accommodation and opposed discrimination, and then they fought us tooth and nail for years.”

Dashtaki continued: “The appellate court’s ruling sends a resounding message to employers across Missouri: You cannot discriminate or retaliate against your employees, weaponize the legal system to delay justice, and then complain when you are held accountable.”

Dashtaki Law Firm, LLC exclusively represents employees in employment matters involving discrimination based on age, race, sex, religion, national origin or disability, as well as retaliation. Please visit www.Dashtaki.com for more information.

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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Mr. Harris, a former employee at the Chillicothe Correctional Center, filed his lawsuit in 2019 under the Missouri Human Rights Act, detailing a continuing course of racial discrimination, harassment, retaliation, and a hostile work environment. Following a subsequent trial on damages, the trial court awarded Mr. Harris $750,000 in compensatory damages and $250,000 in punitive damages.

In its decision today, the Court of Appeals firmly dismissed the defendants’ attempt to appeal the underlying judgment, cementing the trial court’s ruling and securing justice for Mr. Harris.

Trial counsel Cyrus Dashtaki released the following statement regarding today’s appellate victory:

“This appellate win is a monumental milestone not just for Mr. Harris, but for any public servant who has been subjected to systemic mistreatment. The Court of Appeals’ decision to uphold the judgment sends a powerful and undeniable message: no entity, not even the government, is above the law. We hope this result provides empowerment and courage to others to bravely stand up to discrimination and hold the government accountable for its actions.”

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.

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.