Sexual Discrimination / Harassment Expert Witnesses: 21

911 Consulting specializes in Emergency Preparedness, Training, Drills and Exercises for corporations, campuses and medical facilities. 911 Consulting offers practical solutions for preventing likely incidents, preparing for emergencies, responding to a crisis, and resuming operations. They create a custom emergency plan, train personnel, and stage drills for readiness.

Bo Mitchell was Police Commissioner of Wilton, CT for 16 years. He retired to found 911 Consulting which creates emergency, disaster recovery, business continuity, crisis communications and pandemic plans, plus training and exercise for organizations like GE HQ, Hyatt HQ, MasterCard HQ, five colleges and universities plus 29 PreK-12 schools.

Bo serves clients headquartered from Boston to LA working in their facilities from London to San Francisco. He has earned 23 certifications in homeland security, emergency management, disaster recovery, business continuity, safety and security. Mission: Trying to make America safer one workplace at a time.

Litigation Support - Bo serves as an expert in landmark court cases nationally.  He provides expert witness services to attorneys representing plaintiff and defense, including thorough reporting, depositions, and trial testimony as needed.

Areas of Expertise: 

Professional Designations: CEM, CPP, CHS-V, CBCP, CSI-ML, HSEEP, CSSAS, CNTA, IAC, MOAB, CHSP, CHEP, CSHM, CESCO, CHCM, CFC, CSSM, CSC, CAS, TFCT3, CERT, CHSEMR, CMC

Aaron T. Olson specializes as an expert in police investigations and employer investigations. His knowledge and skills come from a career in law enforcement, testifying in state and federal court, being an expert witness, private investigator, adjunct professor, author and trainer. 

Background Experience: Mr. Olson has 26 years of police experience with the Oregon State Police managing assignments in communications, recruitment, and patrol. He supervised and evaluated both police and non-police employees. He was a member of the OSP Procedures and Rules Advisory Committee and worked with Oregon's Department of Justice legal team in rewriting and validating OSP's trooper and cadet applicant hiring process. 

As a patrol supervisor, Mr. Olson directed major crime scenes and motor vehicle fatalities investigations. He reviewed and approved administrative, police, and use of force reports. He investigated allegations of police officer misconduct, conducted background checks, and participated in specialized tasks in community policing, dignitary protection with the U.S. Secret Service and other law enforcement agencies. In his tenure he had experience in police pursuits, the use of physical force and deadly force and next-of-kin death notifications.  

Mr. Olson is a former human resources investigator with Local Government Personnel Institute, Salem, OR. He conducted background and misconduct investigations on city and county employees and city and county elected officials, as well as city police chiefs. His misconduct investigations included sexual harassment, discrimination, retaliation and hostile work environments. He wrote the investigative reports and made the findings of facts on all misconduct allegations.

Besides being an expert witness, Mr. Olson is a private investigator. He is insured and bonded and licensed through the Oregon Department of Public Safety Standards and Training, Private Investigator License #113509. Mr. Olson is a contract expert consultant to the Oregon Public Defense Commission on police practices and investigations. His vendor number is 1833121097-000. 

Mr. Olson is a published co -writer of multiple books, CARE Approach: Seeking Solutions to Human Problems and Multicultural Law Enforcement: Strategies for Peacekeeping in a Diverse Society. Further, he is an adjunct professor teaching at a community college and state university.

Litigation Support: Mr. Olson meets the criteria of an expert witness as outlined in the Federal Rules of Evidence. He has experience as an expert on cases involving police misconduct, police procedures, police and non-police use of force, police pursuits; wrongful death; personal injury; employer investigations on employees; and cases involving employer negligent hiring, negligent training, negligent supervision, negligent retention, management performance and retaliation. He also has experience in reviewing criminal cases for defense attorneys. Mr. Olson's services are available to attorneys' representing plaintiffs and defendants and include diagnostics, thorough reporting, depositions, arbitration hearings, and trial testimony as needed. Contact him today for a free initial consultation.

Areas of Expertise:

View Aaron T. Olson's Consulting Profile.

Monica M. Argumedo, MD, is a Board-Certified Forensic and Clinical Psychiatrist (ABPN). Dr. Argumedo has testified about her forensic opinions in more than 40 cases in open court. In psychiatric practice for more than 15 years, Dr. Argumedo teaches at Rush University Medical School/Rush University Medical Center as Assistant Professor in Psychiatry. She teaches psychiatry residents in topics related to psychiatry and the law, and psychiatry in medicine. She also interviews prospective medical students through her role on the Medical Admissions Committee.

Dr. Argumedo works with Employers in cases where mental health/psychiatric concerns about an employee require an objective and unbiased Fitness for Duty Evaluation and report. She also consults in employment matters and litigation and serves as a disclosed expert witness. Her work addresses fitness for duty (FFD) in a litigated environment, Wrongful Termination, and Psychiatric Disability. Additional experience includes FFD of peace officers and first responders.

Services - Forensic Psychiatry, Medico-Legal evaluations, medical complications, review of records, written reports, deposition testimony, trial testimony, consultation to attorneys addressing psychiatric issues relevant in a case, opposing counsel expert reports or expert qualifications, assisting with cross-examination questions, and lines of inquiry.

Areas of Expertise:

Mr. Beringer is the Principal of Beringer & Associates (B&A) and Liability Program Management (LPM). These Firms provide business liability program management, including analysis of current risk exposures involving Labor Code, Safety, and Regulatory exposures, litigation management, Workers' Compensation analysis, analysis of insurance conduct, analysis of risk exposure for self-retentions, and insurance contracts.  

Mr. Beringer, as their Liability Claims Manager, was responsible for various Joint Powers Authority organizations (including ICRMA, BICEP, PERMA, and ERMA). The membership included thirty-eight individual cities in Los Angeles County, Riverside County, and Orange County for administering and resolving their Joint Power program's liabilities. 

He also created litigation controls, risk retention mechanisms, and modified their Memorandums of Coverage for BICEP and ICRMA. Mr. Beringer has also provided talent for successfully overseeing Government Code matters, including dangerous conditions, FEHA/DFEH, excessive force, and Civil Rights violations on behalf of Joint Authorities. 

Responsibilities included significant case handling for exposures more than the client's self-insured retention through various levels of reinsurance in the United States/offshore venues up to and inclusive of $50.0 million in an exposure. Since January 2000, the firm has provided risk analysis, insurance coverage and claim handling analysis, and management services to the insurance, construction, and transportation sectors. He has also been engaged to provide analysis of construction defect exposures, including review of risk exposure coverage; Labor Code exposures, including assisting with the administration of prevailing wage in California; to assist with operational concerns, coordination, risk management, Workers' Compensation underwriting, and executive management.

Mr. Beringer has provided expert/consultant services to plaintiff and defendant counsel in insurance coverage, including EPLI, General Liability, Workers’ Compensation, Professional Liability, Reinsurance, D&O, and property coverage. Areas of expertise include claim handling, damage evaluation (personal injury and property damage), professional adjustment standards (via carrier and TPA), and evaluation of attorney fees in Lodestar and FEHA matters. 

Mr. Beringer started in the insurance industry with the Automobile Club of Southern California in 1969, completing his insurance career in 2000.  

Dr. Brian H. Kleiner was a former human resource manager for Ford Motor Company. He has had over 100 private and public consulting clients and has trained thousands of employees. 

Dr. Kleiner taught three 36-hour courses on KLCS-TV, has over 500 publications, and has given trial / arbitration testimony in over 70 cases, including one resulting in a $12.5 million plaintiffs verdict in 2014 concerning disability discrimination and wrongful termination. He has been profiled in Bender's California Labor and Employment Bulletin in 2007 as a result of his overall forensic expert successes and other achievements. 

Degrees Include:

• B.S. in Business Administration, Drexel
• MBA, UCLA
• Ph.D. Management, UCLA

Background Check and Negligent Hiring Expert

Robert Capwell, RIMS-CRMP, is a Background Screening and Background Check litigation expert witness leveraging more than 30 years of employment screening executive leadership experience. He is the founder and principal consultant of Capwell Consulting Group LLC, which provides litigation support and expert testimony in the areas of employment screening, HR compliance investigations, and FCRA related cases.

Litigation Support: Mr. Capwell provides expert witness services as a background check expert on behalf of Consumer Reporting Agencies, employers, consumers, and attorneys representing plaintiff and defense. His services include thorough reporting, depositions, and trial testimony as needed. His testimony and consulting experience includes government agencies, Congress, the Federal Trade Commission, and the Federal Aviation Administration.

Areas of Expertise:

Mr. Capwell is a Founding Member and Past Chairman of the Board of Directors of the National Association of Professional Background Screeners (NAPBS) which is now the Professional Background Screening Association (PBSA). He led the association's globalization taskforce which developed the organizational and leadership structure for the association's transformation to a global association. He also served on the association's inaugural Global Board of Directors as a distinguished member. Mr. Capwell served on the Ethics and Accreditation Committee which developed the Background Screening Agency Accreditation Program (BSAAP).

Mr. Capwell has appeared in The Wall Street Journal, Entrepreneur Magazine, and the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) publications. He also served as a contributing author of the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) “Security Awareness Standard” which was published in 2020. He is a presenter to industry colleagues, recruiters, human resource professionals, and loss prevention practitioners both nationally and internationally.

Dr. Caren Goldberg, Ph.D. is an internationally renowned professor of Human Resource Management. She provides expert witness and litigation support services in employment law cases. 

Dr. Goldberg has written over 50 peer-reviewed papers and three book chapters on Diversity, Discrimination, Stereotypes, and Sexual Harassment. She has been quoted in numerous magazine and newspapers, and has appeared on Dateline, NBC, Voice of America, and numerous local affiliate news programs to discuss discrimination and harassment. 

The Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) honored Caren as one of 100 diversity thought leaders from business, consulting, government, and academia, based on her research contributions in this area. More recently, SHRM appointed her to a task force charged with developing professional standards in Diversity and Inclusion.

Litigation Support - Professor Goldberg has been retained by both plaintiff and defense attorneys to testify on matters such as Stereotyping and Harassment / Discrimination climates. In addition, she has testified on the extent to which HR practices are consistent with the scholarly and practitioner literature in HR and how subjectivity in HR practices such as selection, compensation, promotion, appraisal, and termination decision may introduce bias.

Dr. Goldberg provides a variety of services including:

• Assistance Preparing for Depositions and/or Trials in Discrimination and/or Harassment Cases
• Test Validation Services
• Assistance with or Outsourcing of Diversity and/or Sexual Harassment Training Programs
• Assessment and Critique of Opposing Expert's Assumptions, Conclusions, and Prior Research  

Charles Taylor is a partner at Lang, Richert & Patch specializing in federal civil litigation. He has represented clients in areas such as Civil Rights, Government Contracts and Leases, Insurance Coverage, and Business Litigation in various federal district courts around the United States, in adversary proceedings in the bankruptcy court, and before governmental administrative boards. Mr. Taylor specializes in all aspects of Employment Law, including sexual harassment, discrimination, and wrongful termination. He has represented local and national clients on various employment issues before the Labor Commission, Department of Fair Employment and Housing, Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, and Employment Development Department. In addition, he advises employers on preventing employment relations problems and on developing personnel policies and procedures. Illustrative Case:

• Engaged by bakery to defend against civil complaint filed by Department of Justice for alleged violations of Clean Air Act with over $3 million in potential penalties. Successfully negotiated dismissal of the case without penalty
• Engaged by local concessionaire on government owned property after improper termination of lease. Actions litigated in both federal district court and before Contract Board of Appeals. Prevailed on entitlement issues after an 8 day hearing
• Successful settlement on quantum before trial for in excess of $1.3 million
• Successfully defended on summary judgment large grocery store chain by four female employees claiming sexual harassment and gender discrimination
• Successfully defended regional employer for alleged wrongful termination in violation of public policy, fraud, tortious bad faith, and intentional infliction of emotional distress

Michael T. Motley, Ph.D. has over thirty-five years of experience in the fields of Communication & Psycholinguistics. Dr. Motley serves as an expert witness for opinions on the  clarity, lack of clarity, and most likely interpretation of common messages such as  warning labels, instructions, advertising, contracts, waivers, and so forth. He has served on over 30 cases; about 2/3 for plaintiff and 1/3 for defense. Dr. Motley is a Professor Emeritus of Communication at the University of California at Davis. He has authored almost 200 books, articles, and research papers in communication and psycholinguistics. He has won eighteen excellence awards for his research and was recognized as among the "Top 1%" of communication scholars of the 1970's, 1980's, and 1990's. Areas of Expertise:

• Communication Messages: Meaning, Ambiguity, Likely and Alternate Interpretations, Communicative Intention
• Adequacy/Inadequacy of Messages: Product Warnings, Instructions, Waivers, Advertisements
• Male / Female Misunderstandings: Sexual Consent/Resistance, Date Rape

Services Offered:

• Expert testimony & Consultation
• Opinion on Adequacy of Communication Messages
• Opinion on Likely Consumer Interpretation of Warnings, Instructions, Advertising
• Opinion on Likely Intrepretation of Sexual Resistance/Consent Messages and Behaviors
• Social-scientific testing of expert opinion (his and others')

View Consulting Profile.

My name is David T. Sweeney.  I am a Police Policy and Procedure expert and a retired 34-year veteran police leader with Seattle Police and Oregon State University PD.  I have decades of experience supervising a large number of police officers and supervisors. I am currently employed as adjunct faculty in the School of Police Staff and Command at Northwestern University. I enjoy assisting with expert reviews of policing best practices for a variety of legal standards for police departments. As an expert witness, I have been pleased to work with both plaintiff and defense attorneys. I will give you an honest assessment of your case, so that I can provide the best reports and helpful testimony. I have experience with 41 total cases: 16 defense cases and 25 plaintiff cases.

Litigation Support - My goal is to improve best practices in policing by offering expert witness and police consultation services. I am also a trained mediator specializing in workplace conflicts. I provide honest, unbiased opinions. I will be happy to review and discuss your case. I will point out strengths and weaknesses of the case, and we can work on next steps, whether it be further case review, expert report, deposition, or trial testimony. I have spent 21 years as a sergeant and lieutenant, responsible for training and reviewing topics such as police pursuits, use of force, police tactics, de-escalation, police supervision, less lethal weapons, active shooter, SWAT, crowd control, legal standards, EEO, Human Resources, U.S. 1983 cases, and more.

 Areas of Expertise:

View David T. Sweeney's Consulting Profile.

Allison West, Esq., SHRM-SCP, AWI-CH

In 2000, after practicing law at a San Francisco Labor and Employment boutique, Allison started Employment Practices Specialists to fulfill her personal mission of helping companies build and maintain safe, respectful and productive workplaces.

Allison focuses her practice on conducting workplace investigations, delivering one-on-one sensitivity training for executives, managers and employees concerning sexual harassment, discrimination, and diversity awareness issues, coaching managers and employees with disciplinary and/or behavioral problems, providing expert witness and litigation assistance.

Litigation Support - Allison improves case effectiveness well before trial by suggesting strategies, investigating and uncovering facts, and performing research. She assesses the technical merits and the time/money/risk equation of a case, offering suggestions to counsel on the advisability of moving forward or settling. Allison's thorough knowledge of both Employment Law and Employment Practices can bring to your case the clear and comprehensive overview you need.

Areas of Expertise:

Allison specializes in developing and delivering interactive training programs in the US and internationally that address employment law and human resources issues.

Allison was brought into CBS News to deliver harassment training immediately after Charlie Rose was terminated and went on to deliver training at 60 Minutes, The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, and other CBS programs. She trains at organizations of all sizes and industries, nationally and internationally.

Allison is a frequent top-rated speaker at local and national events such as the Society for Human Resource Management’s (SHRM) Annual Conference & Exposition where she has been ranked as one of the top ten highest rated speakers.

Beth De Lima, MBA, SPHR-CA. consults with Plaintiff and Defense attorneys in regard to human resource management, the American with Disabilities Act (ADA), Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA), discrimination and related topics.

Ms. De Lima is nationally certified as a Senior Professional in Human Resources with a California specific certification (SPHR - CA) by the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) and was appointed to sit on the Employee Health, Safety, and Security Special Expertise Panel, 2006-2010. She is a certified mediator, U.C. Berkeley, Extension Program and had been appointed to the Amador, Calaveras, and Tuolumne County Superior Court Mediation Panels. Specifically, Ms. De Lima can assist you in preparing responses and compiling evidence for existing cases. Her litigation support services may be used to:

• Formulate questions for depositions
• Conduct investigations and interviews
• Evaluate the adequacy of personnel policies
• Analyze evidence and presentation materials
• Identify case weaknesses and alternative strategies
• Document employee physical suitability for work
• Determine "reasonable accommodation"

Please visit her website at www.hrmconsulting.com for more details. Ms. De Lima has offices in Murphys and San Jose California and are available at your convenience to discuss cases on a confidential and complimentary basis.

View Consulting Profile.

Dr. Jane K. McNaught, PhD is a locally and nationally recognized Forensic Psychological Expert specializing in Post Traumatic Stress Disorder with adults and children. Over the course of her more than 35 years of practice, she has worked with both Defense and Plaintiff attorneys and has also been a Court appointed expert.

Dr. McNaught has administered more than 1700 psychological test batteries and testified on over 500 occasions as a forensic expert in the areas of: Civil, Criminal, and Family Law. She also provides trial consultation for attorneys. Dr. McNaught has  been qualified and testified as an expert in PTSD, for both the U.S. Army as well as the U.S. Navy. In addition she has testified as an expert in both District and Federal court. Dr. McNaught practices in the areas of Civil, Criminal, and Family Law cases involving trauma to both adults and children.

In the Civil area, Dr. McNaught is frequently hired as an expert when there are allegations of Emotional Damages involving Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Dr. McNaught has been hired in cases of alleged sexual misconduct within institutional settings such as: Schools, Churches, Treatment Centers, Hospitals, Residential Centers for the Handicapped, Jails and other Police alleged violations.

The following are cases where Dr. McNaugth has been an expert:  PTSD cases involving veterans;  injuries related to Motor Vehicle Injuries/Death; Dog Bite; Amputation; Burns; and Electrocution. Dr. McNaught has also been an expert in  Medical Malpractice Cases,Wrongful Death, and Infant Death cases. Employment Law Experience in cases  involving Age or Sexual Harassment where PTSD is alleged. 

In the Criminal area, Dr. McNaught is hired by both the Prosecution as well as Defense in cases involving Sexual Misconduct. She also conducts evaluations of Defendants in criminal cases where Underlying Psychological Conditions may impact sentencing. She has also  been obtained as an expert to evaluate the reliability of statements obtained from alleged victims of sexual assault. When doing so, Dr. McNaught addresses the following: Recantation, Memory Research, and the Standard of Care for Interviewing Victims of Sexual Assault. 

In the area of Family Law, Dr. McNaught specializes in High Conflict Divorce and and provides consultation in issues related to:  Relocation; Endangerment; Factitious Disorder by Proxy; Parental Capacity; and Parental Alienation. Dr. McNaught is also frequently obtained as an expert to critique other evaluator's reports.

View Dr. McNaught's Consulting Profile.

DeAndrea T. Williams is a distinguished Certified Rehabilitation Counselor (CRC), Certified Vocational Evaluator (CVE), International Psychometric Evaluator (IPEC) and a Certified Life Care Planner (CLCP). She has a robust background in vocational assessment, counseling, and disability management. Holding a Master of Science in Rehabilitation Counseling from the University of Kentucky, DeAndrea is uniquely positioned to provide expert guidance and strategic solutions in complex vocational and medical-legal cases.

As the President/CEO of Land of Goods Vocational Consulting, Mrs. Williams leads a team of twelve evaluators conducting in-depth vocational evaluations, labor market analyses (local, state, and national), and transferable skills assessments. Utilizing authoritative resources like the Dictionary of Occupational Titles (DOT), Occupational Outlook Handbook (OOH), and O*NET, she provides precise insights into employability and career potential. 

Litigation Support - Land of Goods Vocational Consulting (LOGVC) is a national vocational consulting firm providing Forensic Vocational Expert Services in private-law matters, including ERISA disability, Social Security disability, personal injury, workers’ compensation, and employment litigation. LOGVC maintains a curated directory of Certified Rehabilitation Counselors and vocational experts who provide defensible, methodologically consistent vocational opinions related to employability, earning capacity, transferable skills, and labor market access.

All experts listed through LOGVC are trained in standardized forensic vocational methodology, including the use of DOT/SOC crosswalks, O*NET data, BLS/OEWS wage data, labor market analysis, and individualized functional capacity synthesis, consistent with accepted professional and legal standards. LOGVC experts are available for record review, written reports, depositions, and trial testimony, and may serve plaintiff, defense, or neutral roles depending on the matter.

Areas of Expertise:

Monica Ballard is an Organizational Development Consultant with 25 years of experience specializing in the Prevention of Harassment, Discrimination, and Retaliation. She has trained over 500 Human Resources professionals in conducting investigations and trained over 10,000 persons on the subjects of harassment, discrimination, and retaliation.

Monica has written over 20 workbooks and produced 4 web-based training programs on the prevention of harassment, discrimination, and retaliation, and has written 4 workbooks on Conducting Effective Investigations. She has served as a consultant for numerous Fortune 500 companies, including American Express, ARCO, Sizzler Int’l, First Interstate Bank, Exxon, Jack-in-the Box, Washington Mutual Bank, Ritz Carlton Hotels, Goodyear Tire & Rubber, RAND Corporation, MCA/Universal Studios, MTA, and Motown Record Company. 

Monica has been Interviewed on CBS News, CNN, and Fox News, and featured in newspapers including the WSJ, LA Times (8 times), US News & World Report, Time Magazine, Chicago Tribune, Miami Herald, New York Times, and others. 

Litigation Support - Monica has been designated an expert witness in 226 Employment Lawsuits. She has testified at trial or arbitration 20 times. Approximately 50% of her cases have been for the plaintiff, and 50% for the defense. She has been used by the EEOC as an outside Human Resources Consultant and twice in EEOC litigation.

Areas of Expertise:

Monica has been designated to testify on the following topics:

• Company anti-harassment, anti-discrimination and anti-retaliation training. Was the training compliant with State and Federal laws?
• Company policies and procedures on those same topics. Were the company's policies compliant under both State law and Federal law?
• The investigation into employee complaints - were the investigations adequate and reasonable?
• Were the investigations conducted immediately, in an objective manner, and were they thorough and complete?
• Did the investigators come to a conclusion after the investigation?
• Did the investigators communicate the results of the investigation to the complainant, the alleged perpetrator and those others with a "need to know"?
• Did the investigators and the employer remedy the situation?
• Did they ameliorate the effects of the harassment, the discrimination and/or the retaliation?
• Did the employer guard against retaliation and did the employer continue to monitor the workplace after the complaint was resolved?
• Did the employer have effective accommodations for employees with disabilities, and did the company engage in an interactive process with the employee with a disability?

View Parallax Education's Consulting Profile.