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Claim Type

Wrongful Termination Cases

3,027 employment law court rulings from public federal records (1964–2026)

3,027
Total Rulings
27%
Plaintiff Win Rate

731 of 2671 adjudicated opinions ended in a plaintiff win.

$1,633,051
Avg Damages Awarded (324 prevailing cases)
S.D.N.Y.
Top Court

About Wrongful Termination Claims

Wrongful termination claims arise when an employee is fired in violation of federal or state law, public policy, or an employment contract. While most employment is at-will, employers cannot terminate employees for illegal reasons such as discrimination, retaliation, or exercising legal rights. These cases examine whether the stated reason for termination was pretextual.

Case Outcomes

Defendant Win
1346 (44%)
Plaintiff Win
731 (24%)
Mixed Result
353 (12%)
Dismissed
241 (8%)
Remanded
239 (8%)
Settlement
117 (4%)

Top Employers in Wrongful Termination Cases

Employers most frequently appearing in wrongful termination rulings.

Union Pacific Railroad Company
47 wrongful termination rulings
United States Postal Service
15 wrongful termination rulings
Abbott Laboratories
11 wrongful termination rulings
Union Pacific Railroad
9 wrongful termination rulings
Board of Education of the City of Chicago
8 wrongful termination rulings

Court Rulings (3,027)

McCarthy
W.D.N.Y.Jan 29, 1996New York
Defendant Win
Nadeau
VTNov 22, 1995
Defendant Win
Javetz
W.D. Mich.Oct 31, 1995Michigan
Defendant Win
Coffman
W.D. Mich.Oct 26, 1995Michigan
Defendant Win
Chan
Unknown CourtAug 16, 1995Ohio

Universities and colleges—Civil rights—Graduate student's formal complaint of sexual harassment against tenured professor—Employment contract provides procedures \for dismissal or removal from tenure\—Removal procedures not followed and contract breached, when.

Plaintiff Win
Linda Miller v. National Casualty Company, Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, Amicus Curiae
8th CircuitJul 31, 1995Missouri
Defendant Win
EEOC v. Clear Lake Dodge
5th CircuitJul 26, 1995
Plaintiff Win
EEOC v. McDonnell Douglas Corp.
E.D. Mo.Jul 24, 1995Missouri
Settlement$976,760 awarded
U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission v. Aic Security Investigations, Ltd.
7th CircuitJun 28, 1995Illinois
Plaintiff Win$572,000 awarded
National Surface v. NLRB
1st CircuitMay 15, 1995
Defendant Win
National Surface v. NLRB
1st CircuitMay 15, 1995
Plaintiff Win
Long
E.D.N.Y.Apr 13, 1995New York
Defendant Win
Equal Employment Opportunity Commission v. Chemtech International Corp.
S.D. Tex.Apr 5, 1995Texas
Defendant Win
Donald J. CHAILLAND, Plaintiff-Appellee, v. BROWN & ROOT, INC., Defendant-Appellant
5th CircuitFeb 23, 1995
Plaintiff Win
Kimberly Manard v. Fort Howard Corporation and David Sexton, Equal Employment Advisory Council, Amicus Curiae
10th CircuitFeb 14, 1995
Remanded
Schiff
D. Conn.Dec 30, 1994Connecticut
Defendant Win
Equal Employment Opportunity Commission v. Lutheran Family Services
E.D.N.C.Dec 5, 1994North Carolina
Plaintiff Win$85,000 awarded
Equal Employment Opportunity Commission v. G-K-G, Inc.
7th CircuitNov 4, 1994Illinois
Mixed Result$687,382 awarded
Brocklehurst
E.D. Mich.Oct 26, 1994Michigan
Plaintiff Win$1,527,100 awarded
Equal Employment Opportunity Commission v. A. Sam & Sons Produce Co.
W.D.N.Y.Aug 2, 1994New York
Plaintiff Win
EEOC v. Clear Lake Dodge
5th CircuitJun 24, 1994
Mixed Result
McGuigan
N.D.N.Y.Apr 29, 1994New York
Defendant Win
Anderson
E.D. Pa.Apr 25, 1994Pennsylvania
Defendant Win
Kennedy v. Marion Correctional Inst.
Unknown CourtApr 20, 1994Ohio

Public employment—Demotion of captain to sergeant based on his repeated sexual harassment of female correctional officers who worked under his supervision, upheld.

Defendant Win
ABF Freight
U.S. Supreme CourtJan 24, 1994New Mexico
Plaintiff Win
Newton
W.D.N.C.Jan 12, 1994North Carolina
Mixed Result
Equal Employment Opportunity Commission v. Harris Chernin, Inc.
7th CircuitDec 1, 1993Illinois
Mixed Result
Jorge VEGA and Eusebio Leon, Plaintiffs, Appellants, v. KODAK CARIBBEAN, LTD., Defendant, Appellee
1st CircuitAug 24, 1993Puerto Rico
Defendant Win
Bernard
E.D. Tex.Aug 19, 1993Texas
Defendant Win
Presnick
D. Conn.Aug 5, 1993Connecticut
Dismissed
U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission v. ALC Security Investigations, Ltd.
N.D. Ill.Jun 7, 1993Illinois
Plaintiff Win$522,000 awarded
NLRB v. Optica Lee Borinquen
Unknown CourtApr 8, 1993
Defendant Win$500 at issue
Cohen
N.D.N.Y.Feb 24, 1993New York
Plaintiff Win
David B. Stiles v. General Electric Company, Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, Amicus Curiae
4th CircuitFeb 12, 1993
Remanded
Cumberland Farms v. NLRB
1st CircuitFeb 4, 1993New Jersey
Defendant Win
Equal Employment Opportunity Commission v. Marion Motel Associates, A/K/A Park Inn International
4th CircuitMay 5, 1992
Plaintiff Win
EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY COMMISSION, Plaintiff-Appellant, v. CLAY PRINTING COMPANY, Defendant-Appellee
4th CircuitMar 2, 1992North Carolina
Defendant Win
Equal Employment Opportunity Commission v. Kloster Cruise Limited, D/B/A Norwegian Cruise Lines
11th CircuitAug 21, 1991
Plaintiff Win
Yedla
E.D. Mich.May 24, 1991Michigan
Remanded
Equal Employment Opportunity Commission v. Grinnell Fire Protection Systems Co.
D. Kan.May 21, 1991Kansas
Plaintiff Win
Anderson
E.D. Mich.Feb 5, 1991Michigan
Defendant Win
EEOC v. Independent Stave Co., Inc.
E.D. Mo.Jan 3, 1991Missouri
Plaintiff Win
Equal Employment Opportunity Commission v. Service News Company
4th CircuitMar 23, 1990
Plaintiff Win$16,176.25 awarded
Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, Cross-Appellee v. Mike Smith Pontiac Gmc, Inc., Cross-Appellant
11th CircuitMar 14, 1990Florida
Mixed Result$5,941.28 awarded
Equal Employment Opportunity Commission v. Pan American World Airways, Inc.
9th CircuitMar 2, 1990California
Settlement$17,200,000 awarded
Equal Employment Opportunity Commission v. White and Son Enterprises, a Corporation
11th CircuitAug 24, 1989
Plaintiff Win
Kelly
E.D. Mich.Aug 26, 1988Michigan
Remanded
Equal Employment Opportunity Commission v. Sperry Corp.
10th CircuitJul 18, 1988Utah
Defendant Win
Equal Employment Opportunity Commission v. The Boeing Company
9th CircuitApr 6, 1988
Remanded
Equal Employment Opportunity Commission v. FLC & Bros. Rebel, Inc.
W.D. Va.Jun 29, 1987Virginia
Plaintiff Win$14,250 awarded

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Data sourced from public federal court records via CourtListener.com. Case outcomes extracted using AI analysis. This information is for educational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. The classification of claim types is based on automated analysis and may not reflect the full scope of each case.