A Massachusetts woman claims that a well-known Boston attorney mishandled her gender and age bias complaint and misled her about its potential for years, all while convincing her to rent him a property at a discounted rate to cover litigation costs.
Mary Fowler alleges that Jeffrey A. Denner, a prominent attorney, took more than $30,000 in retainers but failed to file a mandatory complaint with the Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination (MCAD), effectively invalidating her claims. The lawsuit was filed on December 27 in Essex County Superior Court.
Fowler, a $145,000-a-year district manager at liquor distributor Martignetti Cos., said she began experiencing discrimination from a new manager in 2017. At the time, she was 49 years old. After reaching out to Denner, she initially paid him a $7,500 retainer. Following her termination in 2018, when she was replaced by a younger male employee, Denner advised her not to sign a severance agreement. He then requested an additional $25,000 retainer to pursue her discrimination case, according to the lawsuit.
