Date: 12-19-2007

Case Style: Michele Chambers v. Harrah's North Kanss City LLC

Case Number: 7CV105005583

Judge: Unknown

Court: Circuit Court, Clay County, Missouri

Plaintiff's Attorney: Kevin Baldwin, Liberty, Missouri

Defendant's Attorney: Richard Daly Rhyne, Kansas City, Missouri

Description:

Michele Chambers sued Harrah's North Kanss City LLC on an employment law wrongful termination theory claiming that she was fired from her job as a security guard at Harrah's North Kansas City and Hotel for reporting that the Casino after she alerted the Missouri Gaming commission that she was instructed by supervisors not to investigate, intervene or report to the commission gamblers who use multiple player cards in violation of state law. Plaintiff began working for the casino in August 2002 in a security position that required her to monitor gaming activities and report any improper or illegal activity to authorities. She claimed that she and other security workers were instructed in a staff briefing not to investigate, intervene or report to the state whenever gamblers were observed using multiple cards to gamble. She also claimed that she was told not to identify players exchanging cards and that she questioned the directive but said she was told to do as instructed. After reporting the matter to the Gaming Commission, Chambers was terminated on grounds of speaking to state officials and co-workers about topics that the casino said should have been addressed through its internal chain of command. Chambers appealed, but she claimed that the casino halted an internal hearing process before a review panel could issue its preliminary decision to return her to work. The casino convened a second review panel of workers outside Kansas City that upheld the firing, the lawsuit alleged.

Harrah's claimed that Chambers was fired for other reasons, including gossiping.

Harrah's was one of a handful of casino companies that co-founded the National Center for Responsible Gaming in Kansas City in 1996.

Outcome: Plaintiff's verdict for $1 million.

Plaintiff's Experts: Unknown

Defendant's Experts: Unknown

Comments: None