Three Veterans Bring Federal Claims Against the Former Secretary of the Wisconsin Department of Veterans Affairs

MADISON, Wis., July 20, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- The law firm of Fox & Fox filed three lawsuits today in the United States District Court for the Western District of Wisconsin accusing Ken Black, the former Secretary of the Wisconsin Department of Veterans Affairs, of violating federal civil rights laws with regard to the hiring and retention of WDVA employees.    

Lt. Col. Tim Donovan, Randall Nitschke, and Col. Gary Wistrom, all charged Black with either discrimination or retaliation on the basis of race and sex or because they opposed race and sex discrimination.  Donovan had applied for and been rejected as a candidate for the position as WDVA Communications officer despite receiving the top score on the qualification exam and being the only Veteran in the final pool of candidates judged to be qualified for the position.  Nitschke, the former Commandant of the WDVA's Wisconsin Veterans Home in Union Grove, Wisconsin, alleges that he was discharged from his position after Black complained that there were too many old white males in positions such as his.  Wistrom, a former Assistant Administrator at the Veterans Home alleges he was transferred from his duties at the Veteran's Home and constructively terminated after he verified that Black had made the comments about old white males prior to Nitschke's termination.

All three plaintiffs previously filed similar charges with the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development Equal Rights Division which issued initial determinations finding probable cause that the discrimination and retaliation occurred as alleged in each of their respective complaints.  The federal lawsuits filed today seek compensatory and punitive damages against former Secretary Black.

About Fox & Fox, S.C.

Fox & Fox, S.C. is a nationally recognized trial firm that handles complex business, contract, securities, constitutional, civil rights, employment, professional malpractice, whistleblower and class action cases. The firm has offices in Chicago, IL, Madison, WI and Milwaukee, WI. www.fox-law.com

SOURCE Fox & Fox, S.C.