Representative Matters

• $500,000 settlement. Represented female Washington State Department of Transportation engineer and manager who was subjected to gender discrimination and a hostile work environment by upper management and subordinates.
• $1,600,000 settlement. Represented four former employees asserting that the chief deputy prosecutor showed favoritism to younger employees, subjected older employees to condescending, hostile, and demeaning conduct, and made ageist comments. Attorneys Stephanie L. Bloomfield and James W. Beck represented the four employees in their lawsuit against Clallam County. Case v. Clallam County, Jefferson County Superior Court Cause No. 09-2-00072-6.
• Ockletree v. Franciscan Health System (No. 88218-5). In a sharply divided 5-4 decision in February 2014, the Washington Supreme Court held that religious non-profit employers cannot discriminate against their employees whose jobs are unrelated to the religious mission of the employer. While the Court held that a state law exemption for religious employers is not unconstitutional in all circumstances, it determined that our client, a hospital security guard who was terminated after suffering a stroke can, continue his disability discrimination case against Franciscan Health System. (Ockletree v. Franciscan Health System, No. 88218-5).
• Defense Verdict in Case involving Head-On Logging Truck Collision. After a two week jury trial in Spokane County Superior Court, involving a head-on accident with a logging truck on a snowy road in Stevens County, causing significant personal injuries to the claimant, the jury unanimously found that the logging truck driver and his employer were not responsible for the accident.
• Disability Discrimination Settlement for Hearing Impaired Employee. After several years of litigation, involving claims against the Washington State Patrol for disability discrimination and failure to accommodate issues on behalf of a severely hearing impaired employee, the case was resolved for a six-figure settlement on behalf of the employee who continued to work during the litigation process. In addition to a substantial recovery, the employee was able to continue working with proper accommodations to perform her work.
• $3.4 Million Paid by Thurston County to Resolve Claims. Represented three deputy prosecuting attorneys in gender discrimination, harassment and retaliation claims against the county. The jury unanimously found in favor of each of the three clients on all discrimination and retaliation claims after over two weeks of trial. In addition to the $1.5 million damage award, the court awarded attorneys' fees and costs, and granted a multiplier, leading to a supplemental judgment of approximately $1.5 million. After Ms. Bloomfield successfully defending the County's appeal, and the appellate court affirmed the judgments, the County paid approximately $3.4 million to resolve the matter. Broyles v. Thurston County, 147 Wn. App. 409 (2008).
• Defense Verdict on Trade Secret Claims. Represented the former CEO of Plaintiff and his new company in litigation to protect their newly developed technologies from the former employer's claim that the new technology was based on trade secrets stolen from the former employer. Successfully defended motion for preliminary injunction. After a three week trial, the jury found every one of the seven alleged trade secrets was not a trade secret allowing my clients to maintain ownership and capitalize on the new technology they had developed independently.
• Dismissal of Claims Against Individual Defendants in Section 1983 Action for Discrimination in the Award of Contract. Ms. Bloomfield obtained orders dismissing all claims against individual defendants involved in the award of a public contract that was alleged to be motivated by race discrimination. The claims against the sole remaining entity were then settled after a three week jury trial.