NEW ORLEANS –– The Housing Authority of Jefferson Parish (HAJP) must pay a former employee accrued vacation and sick time, a federal judge ruled.
In his Sept. 20 ruling, Judge Martin Feldman for the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana granted partial summary judgment to Elizabeth Gartman. However, the judge did not rule in Gartman's favor for her improper termination claim or allegations of
Gartman worked at HAJP as an office manager from 2009 to 2017. According to court documents, she signed an employment agreement classifying her as an "at-will employee" and she could be fired with or without cause.
The agreement also stated Gartman would receive all accrued and unused vacation and sick leave without penalty.
When she was fired, Gartman's attorney contact HAJP and demanded compensation for the full term of her contract, plus the accrued leave. Gartman later filed the lawsuit.
In the order, Feldman found "no factual dispute" about Gartman's entitlement to the accrued vacation and sick leave and awarded her penalty wages. But Feldman found her claims of improper termination could not be supported.
U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana Case number 2:17-cv-12375-MLCF-JCW