At Helmer Friedman LLP, our attorneys are dedicated to defending the rights of seniors who have suffered physical abuse, neglect, fraud, and other financial crimes. Our older community members, who may be vulnerable, deserve our protection.
Sadly, financial institutions, banks, insurance companies, contractors, and even family members have exploited our seniors. We aim to prevent such mistreatment from occurring. #ElderAbuseAwarenessDay #ElderAbuse
March 14, 2023 (Los Angeles, California) – On this 2023 Equal Pay Day, Courtney Abrams of Courtney Abrams, PC & Andrew H. Friedman of Helmer Friedman LLP announced today the filing of a lawsuit against the Board of Trustees of the California State University (“CSU”), the President of CSU’s San Bernardino campus, Tomás Morales, and the Dean of the Palm Desert Campus of CSU, San Bernardino, Jake Zhu.
The lawsuit, Clare Weber & Anissa Rogers v. Board of Trustees of the California State University (the State of California acting in its higher education capacity); Tomás Morales, an individual; and Jake Zhu, an individual (Los Angeles Superior Court Case No. 23STCV05549), alleges that CSU has a well-known pattern and practice of violating California’s Equal Pay Act and otherwise engaging in gender discrimination against and harassing its female employees.
The lawsuit further alleges that CSU resorts to an entrenched practice of silencing its victims if they complain, including forcing them to resign by threatening their careers with ruin (like Plaintiff Anissa Rogers), or, if they refuse, simply firing them (like Plaintiff Clare Weber).
Unfortunately, women’s individual stories have often included the reality that their contributions have been undervalued, underpaid, and overlooked. Pay discrimination is a stark example of that reality […] When a woman is paid less than a man for doing the same work […] it not only affects her weekly paycheck but also her long-term economic security.
According to the lawsuit, Dr. Weber, who was the then-Vice Provost at CSU’s San Bernardino campus, complained to Defendant CSU and President Tomás Morales that female Vice Provosts, including herself, were being paid less than their male counterparts. The lawsuit alleges that Dr. Weber specifically protested gender discrimination, including complaining that (1) she had learned that she was not making the same amount of money as her male counterparts in the CSU system and (2) she was one of the lowest-paid despite her large portfolio of assignments. According to the lawsuit, Dr. Weber requested a raise to address the disparity in pay between her and her male colleagues. Indeed, as the EEOC recognized today, allegations like Dr. Weber’s are all too common:
“Unfortunately, women’s individual stories have often included the reality that their contributions have been undervalued, underpaid, and overlooked. Pay discrimination is a stark example of that reality . . . When a woman is paid less than a man for doing the same work . . . it not only affects her weekly paycheck, but also her long-term economic security.”
See “A Message from EEOC Chair Charlotte A. Burrows for 2023 Equal Pay Day and Women’s History Month,”.
The lawsuit likewise alleges that Dr. Rogers, who was the then-Associate Dean at the Palm Desert Campus at CSU, San Bernardino, complained to Dean Jake Zhu that male employees were permitted to harass female employees and that Defendant CSU “needed to do better to disrupt sexism.” According to the lawsuit, Defendant Zhu, who had subjected Dr. Rogers and other female employees to a barrage of sex harassment, instructed Dr. Rogers to just “train the men.”
male employees were permitted to harass female employees, and Defendant CSU ‘needed to do better to disrupt sexism.’
The lawsuit alleges that, thereafter, in identical conversations with both Dr. Weber and Dr. Rogers, current Provost of CSU, San Bernardino, Rafik Mohamed, directed both Dr. Weber and Dr. Rogers to lie to their colleagues and students and say they were “resigning.” According to the lawsuit, Dr. Mohamed was abundantly clear with both Dr. Weber and Dr. Rogers: If you do not resign, you will be fired.
The lawsuit also alleges that multiple current and former employees have corroborated the conduct alleged to be illegal, including one current executive as attesting:
“President Morales is so deeply hostile to and regularly discriminates against female employees who work for him, there is a culture of fear at California State University. And unfortunately, President Morales has a well-known practice of forcing female employees to “resign” or “retire” if they disagree with him or complain. He quickly turns on female employees who report workplace concerns to him and engages in what I can only call a “campaign” to discredit them and remove the female employees.”(Emphasis added)
According to the lawsuit, CSU Chancellor Jolene Koester has been known to have “coached” female employees about how best to endure well-documented sex harassment, discrimination, and retaliation by high-ranking male employees (while doing nothing to stop it).
President Morales is so deeply hostile to and regularly discriminates against female employees who work for him that there is a culture of fear at California State University. And unfortunately, President Morales has a well-known practice of forcing female employees to “resign” or “retire” if they disagree with him or complain. He quickly turns on female employees who report workplace concerns to him and engages in what I can only call a “campaign” to discredit them and remove the female employees.
The lawsuit alleges that after Dr. Weber was fired, Defendant CSU offered multiple conflicting explanations for her firing – none of which were true.
The lawsuit filed by Dr. Weber and Dr. Rogers follows on the heels of a May 2022 study released by the California State University Employees Union finding that the current pay structure within CSU has resulted in white women being paid roughly five percent less than white men, men of color making about three percent less, and women of color having a nearly seven percent disparity in pay when compared to white men. See CSUEU Salary Study.
Dr. Weber and Dr. Rogers are represented by Courtney Abrams, PC, and Helmer Friedman, LLP, California law firms that represent employees and other individuals seeking to vindicate their rights.
Speaking about the lawsuit, Courtney Abrams stated, “California law is clear: it is illegal for employers to subject female employees to inferior and hostile working conditions and pay them less than their male counterparts.”
Andrew H. Friedman likewise stated: “California law is abundantly clear that an employer – not even the State of California – may retaliate against an employee because she complains about gender discrimination and harassment.”
Current and former employees of California State University who wish to report their work experiences or learn more about the lawsuit should complete a case evaluation form and/or visit https://courtneyabramslaw.com/csu-sued-for-gender-discrimination-and-sex-harassment.
For more information about this lawsuit, please contact Courtney Abrams (at 310-490-1547 or courtney@courtneyabramslaw.com) or Andrew H. Friedman (at 310-396-7714 x. 106 or afriedman@helmerfriedman.com).
Similarly, if you are a witness or have information that would be relevant to the claims of Dr. Weber or Dr. Rogers, please contact Mr. Friedman and/or Ms. Abrams.
Complaint for Damages – Clare Weber & Anissa Rogers V. Board of Trustees of the California State University; Tomás Morales, and Jake Zhu
Press Release – Courtney Abrams, PC & Helmer Friedman LLP Represent Current California State University Employees Accusing CSU Of Illegal Employment Practices
ED Source – CSU Trustees and Cal State San Bernardino President Face Equal Pay Lawsuit
The San Bernardino Sun – Former Cal State San Bernardino Administrators Claim They Were Fired for Complaining About Gender Discrimination
The Fresno Bee – CSU Hit With Another Discrimination Lawsuit, Targeting Gender-based Pay Inequity
March 1, 2023 – Helmer Friedman LLP is very pleased to announce that the Labor and Employment Law Section of the Los Angeles County Bar Association has asked Andrew H. Friedman and Tony Oncidi to reprise their Annual Employment Law Update on March 23, 2023, at the Section’s 43rd Labor and Employment Law Symposium. The presentation – entitled “An Oncidi/Friedman Annual Employment Law Review” – will mark the third time that Mr. Friedman and Mr. Oncidi have presented their annual update presentation, as a team, to the Los Angeles County Bar Association. In addition, Mr. Friedman and Mr. Oncidi have each separately also presented their annual update to the Los Angeles County Bar Association with other speakers.
The Labor and Employment Law Section describes the program as: “This past year, as usual, there was an abundance of new employment laws and appellate decisions. Andrew H. Friedman and Anthony Oncidi reprise their annual update on employment law, covering new statutes and top cases, with an emphasis on the cases of greatest utility to employment law practitioners.”
For more information about Section’s 43rd Labor and Employment Law Symposium and/or to register for the program, please visit https://lacba.org/?pg=Events&evAction=showDetail&eid=264842&evSubAction=listAll
March 1, 2023 – Helmer Friedman LLP is very pleased to congratulate 
Andrew H. Friedman and Courtney Abrams on the inclusion of their article “Attorney Workplace Investigations: Neither Impartial Nor Independent“ in the most recent edition of the California Labor & Employment Law Review on the review’s front cover.
February 1, 2023 – Helmer Friedman LLP is very pleased to announce that the February 2023 Advocate Magazine, a journal of the Consumer Attorneys Association of Los Angeles, contains an article written by Helmer Friedman LLP attorneys Erin Kelly and Andrew H. Friedman – 2023’s new employment laws (with a bit of color commentary). The article can be reviewed here.
February 1, 2023 – According to the Los Angeles County Bar Association, there are over 25,000 lawyers in the Los Angeles area. Helmer Friedman LLP is very pleased to announce that the lawyer rating service Super Lawyers has named Andrew H. Friedman to its list of the Top 100 attorneys in Southern California.
January 1, 2023 – Helmer Friedman LLP is very pleased to announce that Chambers USA, the Nation’s leading legal data and analytics provider, awards Mr. Friedman with its highest possible rating (“Band 1”) for Labor & Employment – see https://chambers.com/lawyer/andrew-h-friedman-usa-5:25940936. Chambers bases its ranking on the following qualities:
The qualities on which rankings are assessed include technical legal ability, professional conduct, client service, commercial astuteness, diligence, and commitment.
Chambers rankings are considered the definitive mark of excellence across the legal industry. A ranking from Chambers shows that a law firm has stood out in the most rigorous, independent and in-depth research process of any legal directory on the market, and has emerged as one of the best in the field. According to a review published in Chambers USA, “Andrew Friedman of Helmer Friedman is recognized among peers for his work representing both individuals and classes in a variety of matters, ranging from harassment to wage and hour suits. ‘He’s an excellent plaintiff lawyer who offers a really good perspective.’”
January 2023 – Andrew H. Friedman, Ramit Mizrahi (an employment law mediator with The Mizrahi Law Firm), and Anthony “Tony” J. Oncidi (a partner in and Co-Chair of the Labor and Employment Department of Proskauer Rose LLP – a defense-side employment law firm) have once again co-authored an article – THE TOP CASES OF 2022 – for the California Lawyers Association and the California Labor & Employment Law Review. The article can be viewed here.
January 18, 2023 – Helmer Friedman LLP is very pleased to announce that the Labor and Employment Law Section of the Pasadena County Bar Association has asked Andrew H. Friedman and Tony Oncidi to reprise their Annual Employment Law Update on January 18, 2023.
This program will mark the 4th time that Mr. Friedman and Mr. Oncidi have presented this program to the Beverly Hills Bar Association. The Labor and Employment Law Section describes the program: “2022 was another bumper year for employment law appellate decisions. This fast-paced panel will cover the top employment cases of the past year, including cases from the United States and California Supreme Courts, the Ninth Circuit, and California Courts of Appeal.” For more information and/or to register, please visit – https://register.gotowebinar.com/register/553442903570446604
January 31, 2023 – Helmer Friedman LLP is very pleased to announce that the Labor and Employment Law Section of the Beverly Hills Bar Association has asked Andrew H. Friedman and Tony Oncidi to reprise their Annual Employment Law Update on January 31, 2023. This program will mark the 13th time that Mr. Friedman and Mr. Oncidi have presented this program to the Beverly Hills Bar Association. The Labor and Employment Law Section describes the program as: “The program presents a plaintiff and defense view of the key employment cases decided and California employment laws enacted in the past year. Emphasis will be placed on the practical implications of the year’s new cases and statutes.” For more information and/or to register, please visit – https://myemail.constantcontact.com/2022-Employment-Law-Year-In-Review.html?soid=1102591689817&aid=Hawlf-NIvm0
