News Notes: Workers’ Comp Release Bars Harassment Suit

Renae Kohler filed a workers’ comp claim and a harassment lawsuit against her employer, Interstate Brands, based on alleged physical and verbal harassment by her supervisor. Kohler later signed a workers’ comp compromise and release agreement for a $4,000 settlement, which released the employer from “all claims and causes of action” arising from the injury. Now a California Court of Appeal has dismissed the harassment lawsuit, ruling that the release was broad enough to also apply to that claim. According to the court, if Kohler didn’t intend to release her harassment claim, she should have stated in the release that it wasn’t covered.