Latest news with #DODD
Yahoo
09-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
After court dismisses case against Ohio disabilities agency, parents plan to sue again
COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) – After Ohio's Department of Developmental Disabilities updated a rule at the center of a paid parent caregiver lawsuit, the case was dismissed. Still, a parent argues the new directive is unlawful and plans to again take legal action. In December, Lindsey Sodano, Theresa Grant and Jennifer Dietsh – parents of children with developmental disabilities – filed a legal action against the state department in the Ohio Supreme Court. The lawsuit asked the court to halt a directive created by the state Department of Developmental Disabilities (DODD) in January 2024. The rule instructed county boards of developmental disabilities to search for a caregiver employee to replace paid parent caregivers every 'four to six months.' All about six new laws in Ohio that go into effect today The Ohio Administrative Code states parents can be paid caregivers of children with developmental disabilities only if there is 'no other willing and able provider.' The lawsuit claimed the enforcement of the rule is illegal, since the Ohio Administrative Code does not require repeated searches for a new caregiver after the initial search showed one was not available. In a document dated March 24, a few months after the legal action was filed, the department revealed it changed the rule from every 'four to six months' to 'annually.' Sodano said she discovered the change that day through an email newsletter from the department. On March 26, the Ohio Supreme Court dismissed the case, as the rule at the center of the lawsuit was changed. 'Obviously having your vulnerable childcare thrown into chaos every 12 months is preferable to every four months for sure,' Sodano said. 'No one is going to argue with that, but the fact remains — none of these parent replacements, whether it's four months, six months, 12 months, none of that is required by Ohio law, and that's what we're really challenging.' Sodano said the parents involved in the case plan to introduce another lawsuit 'as soon as possible' to challenge the new directive. How tariffs are expected to raise prices for Ohio consumers The lawsuit claimed that the original four- to six-month requirement kept families in a constant state of upheaval, and that the department did not follow Ohio's rule-making process for administrative agencies before publishing the guidance. 'DODD's mandate is harmful, chaotic, and unjust, but one of the most alarming parts is that it was imposed without following Ohio's administrative rulemaking process,' Sodano told NBC4 in December. 'DODD didn't hold public hearings or allow affected families to provide feedback.' Before the case was dismissed, the state department argued to the court that nothing in state law 'allows parents to conduct a single search for an alternate willing and able provider and then call it quits forever.' 'The question then becomes 'how often must a parent and the local county board of developmental disabilities search for an alternate willing and able provider or direct care worker?'' a legal document filed on behalf of the DODD reads. 'To address this question, the Department published administrative guidance.' Army Corps of Engineers monitor Alum Creek flooding The legal filing also claimed the guidance, originally published in a frequently asked questions document, said the department 'expects' county boards to engage in the caregiver replacement search every four to six months, but did not mandate it. 'With or without the guidance from the FAQ, county boards are exercising their own discretion when to require the reassessment,' the filing claimed. Just two months after the paid parent caregiver lawsuit was filed, Sodano assisted in organizing another lawsuit against the state department, challenging its requirement that those who receive home care through a Medicaid waiver submit to unannounced home inspections. That case remains ongoing. 'We've been very, very busy,' Sodano said. 'Honestly, it feels like a game of Whac-A-Mole. I feel like every week there's some just bonkers idea that's coming out that everyone needs to take a look at and figure out does this violate the law?' In regards to the first lawsuit being dismissed by the Ohio Supreme Court, the DODD said in a statement: 'We respect the legal process and have no further comment.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
25-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Former OAN anchor settles complaint alleging co-worker accused her of being a Hitler supporter
A former anchor for One America News has settled a complaint with the far-right network that alleges she was subjected to a hostile work environment, discrimination, harassment, and wrongful termination. In her complaint, Jessamyn Dodd also claims that another co-worker 'falsely reported' to the network's human resources director that Dodd was 'essentially a Neo-Nazi and Adolph Hitler supporter,' an allegation she said was 'patently false and especially offensive' considering her Jewish heritage. Dodd, who worked as a weekend anchor for the Trump-boosting channel from August 2022 until she was fired in the fall of 2023, claimed in her suit that after she complained to the network about her colleague's 'discriminatory conduct' and the hostility it created in the workplace, OAN eventually terminated her in retaliation rather than remedy the situation. The terms of the settlement were not disclosed, and Dodd declined to comment other than to say that the case had been resolved and she was satisfied. Filed earlier this year in San Diego County Superior Court, near One America News' headquarters, Dodd named OAN writer Katie Smith and Herring Network — the corporate parent of the channel – as defendants in the complaint. 'After becoming one of Defendants' most reliable anchors, DODD was subjected to workplace racism and discriminatory treatment by her coworker KATIE SMITH, including false accusations that DODD was a Neo-Nazi supporter — claims that were especially offensive given DODD's Jewish heritage,' the complaint stated. 'When DODD complained about the hostile work environment, DEFENDANT HERRING NETWORKS, INC. failed to take any remedial action and instead terminated her employment in retaliation.' In addition to her allegations of workplace harassment and discrimination, Dodd also accused the network of wage theft and unlawful employment practices under the California Fair Employment and Housing Act, claiming that the company failed to provide proper meal and rest periods and furnish compliant wage statements. 'DODD was regularly forced to work through breaks due to understaffing and a demanding schedule that required her to prepare and anchor multiple shows per day without adequate support staff,' the complaint asserted. 'When DODD requested accommodations and complained about these violations, DEFENDANT HERRING NETWORKS, INC. responded dismissively and failed to take any corrective action.' Noting that she is 'a multi-racial woman of African American, Caucasian, and Jewish descent,' Dodd said in her complaint that throughout her employment, she was 'subjected to a hostile work environment, including workplace racism and snide comments from Defendant Smith, a Caucasian woman who worked alongside' Dodd. At one point, according to the complaint, Dodd alleged that Smith told the network's human resources accounting and payroll director and other co-workers that Dodd was 'essentially a Neo-Nazi and Adolph Hitler supporter — claims that were patently false and especially offensive given PLAINTIFF's Jewish heritage' Claiming that the 'false statements severely damaged' her professional and personal reputation 'by knowingly and maliciously disseminating and/or publishing false statements' that disparaged her character, Dodd accused the network of brushing off her complaints about Smith's behavior. 'Instead, shortly after PLAINTIFF's complaints, DEFENDANT HERRING terminated her employment in retaliation, in explicit violation of California law and public policy,' the complaint stated. Prior to her termination, Dodd claimed she was continually overworked and the network refused to allow her to take 'proper rest breaks' throughout her employment at OAN. She also said in the complaint that she was forced to take on additional roles due to the network's inability to retain staff. 'The lack of breaks stemmed from DEFENDANT HERRING's continuous understaffing and high turnover rate, which forced PLAINTIFF to perform numerous tasks outside her job description without additional compensation,' the complaint alleged. 'PLAINTIFF requested more coverage and accommodations on numerous occasions, such as co-hosts for her shows or longer break periods between shows, but these requests were never granted.' The suit continued: 'When PLAINTIFF addressed the lack of breaks and the resulting mental and physical fatigue, her supervisors and coworkers responded disparagingly, claiming she should not worry since 'no one even watches the news on weekends.'' Representatives for One America News and Smith did not immediately respond to a request for comment. OAN, which now has an almost non-existent footprint on television after losing all its major cable carriers, is no stranger to settling lawsuits. Last year, the network settled the defamation case brought by voting software firm Smartmatic, which accused the hard-right channel of trumpeting baseless conspiracy theories that voting machines rigged the 2020 election against Donald Trump. The network also reached a settlement in September 2023 with a former Dominion Voting Machines executive over false claims that he and Dominion had engaged in a massive election fraud scheme. Additionally, as part of a 2022 settlement agreement with two Georgia election workers caught up in vote-rigging conspiracy theories, OAN ran a segment acknowledging there was 'no widespread voter fraud' in the 2020 election.
The Independent
25-03-2025
- Politics
- The Independent
Former OAN anchor settles complaint alleging co-worker accused her of being a Hitler supporter
A former anchor for One America News has settled a complaint with the far-right network that alleges she was subjected to a hostile work environment, discrimination, harassment, and wrongful termination. In her complaint, Jessamyn Dodd also claims that another co-worker 'falsely reported' to the network's human resources director that Dodd was 'essentially a Neo-Nazi and Adolph Hitler supporter,' an allegation she said was 'patently false and especially offensive' considering her Jewish heritage. Dodd, who worked as a weekend anchor for the Trump-boosting channel from August 2022 until she was fired in the fall of 2023, claimed in her suit that after she complained to the network about her colleague's 'discriminatory conduct' and the hostility it created in the workplace, OAN eventually terminated her in retaliation rather than remedy the situation. The terms of the settlement were not disclosed, and Dodd declined to comment other than to say that the case had been resolved and she was satisfied. Filed earlier this year in San Diego County Superior Court, near One America News' headquarters, Dodd named OAN writer Katie Smith and Herring Network — the corporate parent of the channel – as defendants in the complaint. 'After becoming one of Defendants' most reliable anchors, DODD was subjected to workplace racism and discriminatory treatment by her coworker KATIE SMITH, including false accusations that DODD was a Neo-Nazi supporter — claims that were especially offensive given DODD's Jewish heritage,' the complaint stated. 'When DODD complained about the hostile work environment, DEFENDANT HERRING NETWORKS, INC. failed to take any remedial action and instead terminated her employment in retaliation.' In addition to her allegations of workplace harassment and discrimination, Dodd also accused the network of wage theft and unlawful employment practices under the California Fair Employment and Housing Act, claiming that the company failed to provide proper meal and rest periods and furnish compliant wage statements. 'DODD was regularly forced to work through breaks due to understaffing and a demanding schedule that required her to prepare and anchor multiple shows per day without adequate support staff,' the complaint asserted. 'When DODD requested accommodations and complained about these violations, DEFENDANT HERRING NETWORKS, INC. responded dismissively and failed to take any corrective action.' Noting that she is 'a multi-racial woman of African American, Caucasian, and Jewish descent,' Dodd said in her complaint that throughout her employment, she was 'subjected to a hostile work environment, including workplace racism and snide comments from Defendant Smith, a Caucasian woman who worked alongside' Dodd. At one point, according to the complaint, Dodd alleged that Smith told the network's human resources accounting and payroll director and other co-workers that Dodd was 'essentially a Neo-Nazi and Adolph Hitler supporter — claims that were patently false and especially offensive given PLAINTIFF's Jewish heritage' Claiming that the 'false statements severely damaged' her professional and personal reputation 'by knowingly and maliciously disseminating and/or publishing false statements' that disparaged her character, Dodd accused the network of brushing off her complaints about Smith's behavior. 'Instead, shortly after PLAINTIFF's complaints, DEFENDANT HERRING terminated her employment in retaliation, in explicit violation of California law and public policy,' the complaint stated. Prior to her termination, Dodd claimed she was continually overworked and the network refused to allow her to take 'proper rest breaks' throughout her employment at OAN. She also said in the complaint that she was forced to take on additional roles due to the network's inability to retain staff. 'The lack of breaks stemmed from DEFENDANT HERRING's continuous understaffing and high turnover rate, which forced PLAINTIFF to perform numerous tasks outside her job description without additional compensation,' the complaint alleged. 'PLAINTIFF requested more coverage and accommodations on numerous occasions, such as co-hosts for her shows or longer break periods between shows, but these requests were never granted.' The suit continued: 'When PLAINTIFF addressed the lack of breaks and the resulting mental and physical fatigue, her supervisors and coworkers responded disparagingly, claiming she should not worry since 'no one even watches the news on weekends.'' OAN, which now has an almost non-existent footprint on television after losing all its major cable carriers, is no stranger to settling lawsuits. Last year, the network settled the defamation case brought by voting software firm Smartmatic, which accused the hard-right channel of trumpeting baseless conspiracy theories that voting machines rigged the 2020 election against Donald Trump. The network also reached a settlement in September 2023 with a former Dominion Voting Machines executive over false claims that he and Dominion had engaged in a massive election fraud scheme. Additionally, as part of a 2022 settlement agreement with two Georgia election workers caught up in vote-rigging conspiracy theories, OAN ran a segment acknowledging there was 'no widespread voter fraud' in the 2020 election.
