Estelle Kokales McGrath

Summary Judgment For Child Care Center In Employment Case, November 19, 2025

We obtained summary judgment on behalf of a child care center in an employment discrimination action brought by two former employees. Plaintiffs alleged multiple claims arising from their termination, including age and race discrimination and unlawful interference with leave, in violation of the Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA), the Pennsylvania Human Relations Act (PHRA), Title VII, Section 1981, and the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA).  The Court agreed that Plaintiffs failed to establish a prima facie case of age discrimination, as they could not show they were replaced by sufficiently younger employees to support an inference of discriminatory animus.  Plaintiffs likewise failed to meet their burden on their race discrimination claims, as they did not demonstrate that the employer retained similarly situated employees who were not within the protected class.  Finally, the Court rejected Plaintiff’s FMLA interference claim, finding that the employee voluntarily ended her leave and that the employer would have continued to honor her FMLA rights had she not done so.  Accordingly, the Court held that Plaintiffs failed to present evidence to support their prima facie claims and granted summary judgment in favor of the employer.
 

Preliminary Objections Sustained in Employment Suit for Public Entity, October 5, 2023
Obtained dismissal of employment case for public entity.  Plaintiff alleged a whistleblower claim and multiple wrongful discharge claims after being terminated.  The Judge sustained the employer’s preliminary objections, as the Court agreed that plaintiff failed to set forth any legally viable claims against her supervisor or prior employer.

Dismissal of Employment Discrimination Charge Before the Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission, August 24, 2023
A terminated employee filed a Charge of Discrimination with the Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission against her non-profit employer alleging age, sex and disability discrimination.  We were able to prove through the investigation process that there was no discrimination.  The Charge was accordingly dismissed.

Dismissal of Employment Discrimination Charge Before Pittsburgh Commission on Human Relations, August 14, 2023
A terminated employee filed a charge of discrimination with the Pittsburgh Commission on Human Relations against his non-profit employer alleging age and disability discrimination.  We were able to prove through the investigation process that there was no age or disability discrimination.  The Charge was accordingly dismissed.

Secured Voluntary Dismissal of Employment Suit for Public Entity, May 24, 2023
A terminated employee filed suit in the United States District Court for The Western District alleging violation of his First Amendment Rights as a result of retaliation based on political opposition and protected speech.  The employee also alleged a violation of the Equal Protection clause of the Fourteenth Amendment.  After filing a Motion for Sanctions, the employee voluntarily dismissed the entire federal lawsuit. 

Secured Voluntary Dismissal of Homeowners Association in Unjust Enrichment Suit, January 13, 2023
A contractor sued a homeowner's association for unjust enrichment because the builder failed to pay it for its services.  After discussions with counsel, the contractor agreed to voluntarily withdraw said suit against the homeowner's association.

Motion to Dismiss Granted in Employment Suit for Public Entity, December 19, 2022
Secured dismissal of First Amendment count in the United States District Court for The Western District on behalf of public entity alleged to have retaliated against plaintiff for exercising her First Amendment rights to freedom of speech and to petition the government for redress of grievances. The public entity employer was entitled to dismissal of the First Amendment Count because plaintiff’s complaints were only intended to protect her interests, not that of the public.  The court declined to exercise supplemental jurisdiction over the remaining state law claims.

Summary Judgment Granted for Vocational School, May 10, 2021

Obtained summary judgment in state court on behalf of a vocational school alleged to have violated the plaintiff’s procedural due process rights to continued enrollment.  The plaintiff alleged sexual assault by an instructor and asserted that she was dismissed from the school after reporting the alleged assault.  The school was entitled to judgment as a matter of law as the plaintiff was unable to prove that she had a recognized property right in continued enrollment in a commercial driver’s license program.

Complaint Dismissed Against Homeowners' Association and Property Management Company, January 28, 2020
A homeowner, Plaintiff, filed suit in Butler County Court of Common Pleas.  Plaintiff sued the Homeowners' Association, the Property Management Company, the Property Managers and individual board members alleging breach of contract, breach of fiduciary duty, gross negligence, intentional misrepresentation and negligent misrepresentation. After arguing preliminary objections to the 490-paragraph complaint, the Judge sustained the objections and dismissed the entire lawsuit with prejudice.  The Judge also granted the Defendants' Motion for Sanctions against Plaintiff for failing to voluntarily dismiss the individual defendants from the suit.

Motion to Dismiss Granted for Housing Authority Alleged to Have Violated Civil Rights of Tenant and Guest, January 13, 2020
Plaintiffs filed a lawsuit in the United States District Court for the Southern District of West Virginia alleging that the housing authority and their employee violated state and federal laws.  After filing a motion to dismiss all claims against the housing authority and their employee, the Judge granted the motion in its entirety dismissing three counts alleging violations of federal laws and four counts alleging violations of state laws.

Defeated Class Action Certification Against Property Management Company, November 20, 2019
Eight homeowners filed a class-action complaint in Washington County Court of Common Pleas avering claims of conversion and conspiracy against a property manager of their homeowners' association. The homeowners sought to certify a class-action lawsuit for all of the unit owners in the planned community.  They accused the property manager of wrongfully converting unit owner association fees and conspiring to delay the "turn over" of their homeowners' association. After a lengthy and contentious discovery process, the Judge denied the class certification against the property management company. 

Dismissal of Employee's Claims of Employee Status, August 2018
Claimant filed a claim petition alleging he was an employee of a newspaper. The case was bifurcated to determine whether the claimant was an employee versus an independent contractor. The Judge dismissed the claim petition finding that claimant was an independent contractor. The Judge’s decision was upheld by the Workers’ Compensation Appeal Board and the Commonwealth Court. 

Voluntary Dismissal of Real Estate Agent from Lawsuit, November 16, 2017
A buyer sued multiple defendants, in Westmoreland County Court of Common Pleas, including the seller's real estate agent alleging claims of misrepresentation and unfair trade practices in Pennsylvania state court.  During the discovery process, counsel was able to prove that the real estate agent was not liable. Thus, Plaintiff voluntarily agreed to discontinue the lawsuit as to the real estate agent.   

Voluntary Dismissal of Borough and Chief of Police, March 17, 2017
A prior employee (plaintiff) filed a complaint in the United States District Court For The Western District of Pennsylvania alleging that the borough, the mayor and chief of police unlawfully discriminated against him, which forced him to resign. The employee set forth various federal and state claims including a violation of his substantive due process rights and intentional infliction of emotional distress. After deposing the plaintiff, he voluntarily agreed to dismiss the complaint with prejudice. 

Employee Injuries Denied and Determined Fully Recovered, May 2016
A union president filed multiple petitions against the employer for accepted and unaccepted injuries. During a six-year battle, the employer was successful in its defenses before the workers' compensation judge, the workers' compensation appeal board, the Commonwealth Court and the Pennsylvania Supreme Court. 

Employee's Claims for Wage Loss Denied, March 17, 2015
An employee, truck driver, filed a claim in West Virginia for injuries he suffered in the course of his employment. The Employer was successful in proving that claimant's disc injury was preexisting in nature, which was affirmed by the Supreme Court of Appeals.

Preliminary Injunction Denied, November 24, 2014
Plaintiff, a manufacturer and seller of refractory products, filed a Motion for Injunctive Relief to prohibit their prior employees from working with a new company, which also manufactured and sold refractory products. The Judge denied Plaintiff's Motion for Preliminary Injunctive Relief after a contentious, speedy discovery stage of depositions and other motions. The trial team was successful in protecting the defendants' new business from being shut down.