National Roundup

Illinois
Judge: Extra Value Meals label is not deceptive
CHICAGO (AP) — A federal judge in Chicago has tossed a class-action lawsuit that argued McDonald’s was duping consumers because a single “Extra Value Meal” costs more than the sum total of the individual components of the meal bought separately.

The Chicago Daily Law Bulletin reported Monday that Kelly Killeen said she bought a sausage burrito breakfast Extra Value Meal in Chicago for $5.08. But she said the “value” label was deceptive because buying the same two sausage burritos, hash browns and coffee individually would have cost a total of $4.97.

Judge Elaine Bucklo noted that prices for combo meals and individual items are easily visible from the counter. She said just because some consumers don’t want to bother to compare prices doesn’t mean they can claim they’ve been fooled.

New Jersey
Lawsuit: Catholic school covered up wrestling coaches abuse
ORADELL, N.J. (AP) — A former wrestler has sued his Catholic high school, claiming the New Jersey school and church officials conspired to cover up sexual and verbal abuse in its nationally recognized wrestling program.

The suit filed Monday alleges Bergen Catholic High School wrestling coaches shared pornographic images with team members, watched wrestlers strip naked and sent athletes inappropriate text messages. It also claims school and Archdiocese of Newark officials worked to shield the coaches.

In a statement issued Monday, Brother Brian Walsh — president of the school in Oradell — said the suit was “based on allegations that are unfounded, frivolous and untrue.” He said the school would vigorously defend itself.

School and archdiocese officials say they reported the abuse allegations to the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office when they learned about them.

Massachusetts
Police find weapons arsenal, bomb materials in man’s home
HOLYOKE, Mass. (AP) — Police say they have found an arsenal of weapons and chemicals that can be used to manufacture explosives in a Massachusetts home.

Holyoke police went to 49-year-old Edward Laboursoliere’s home Sunday after getting a call from his wife. Police say they found 17 guns, thousands of rounds of ammunition and chemicals for making explosives, including ammonium nitrate.

Not-guilty pleas to 26 charges were entered on Laboursoliere’s behalf at his arraignment Monday. He was held pending an April 17 hearing.

Police say he isn’t licensed to have guns, and several were found unsecured in his home, where his three children also live.

Police are investigating what he intended to do with the guns and chemicals.

Mississippi
Man charged with possessing the guns police returned to him
GULFPORT, Miss. (AP) — A man whose guns were seized when he was committed to a Mississippi mental hospital asked for his guns back nine months later, saying doctors had cleared him of any mental issues. So Pascagoula police, backed by a court order, handed over his AK-47 assault rifle and Glock pistol.

Now Steven Drew Montana is jailed without bond on federal charges of possessing weapons after being committed to a mental institution, and is headed to trial in May.

The Sun Herald of Biloxi reports that defense attorney Melvin G. Cooper asked U.S. District Judge Sul Ozerden to dismiss the charges, saying “outrageous government conduct” caused the crime.

Pascagoula police aren’t commenting, but Cooper says authorities should have been aware of the previous commitment and should not have returned the guns.

Rhode Island
Trump nominates McElroy as judge
PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) — President Donald Trump has nominated Rhode Island Public Defender Mary McElroy to be a judge on the U.S. District Court in Providence.

The White House made the announcement Tuesday. It is subject to confirmation by the Senate.

McElroy was first nominated by President Barack Obama in September 2015. Her nomination languished in the Senate, then expired.

Democratic Sens. Jack Reed and Sheldon Whitehouse had been pushing for her nomination. Whitehouse said in October that appointing McElroy “would be a sign of considerable good faith” from the Republican president’s administration.

McElroy has been the state public defender since 2012. She has also been an assistant federal public defender an assistant state public defender.

She earned her law degree from the Suffolk University School of Law and her B.A. from Providence College.

Wisconsin
State paid nearly $600K to settle university cases
MADISON, Wis. (AP) — The state has paid out nearly $600,000 over the last decade to settle allegations of sexual misconduct by University of Wisconsin-Madison employees.

New documents obtained by the Wisconsin State Journal and the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel show 20 sexual harassment cases have been filed against university workers since 2008. Six cases led to payouts totaling $591,050.

The largest settlement, for $250,000, was in 2008. That case involved accusations that three male employees in Facilities Planning and Management sexually harassed a female co-worker. One of the workers asked the woman to have sex with him, according to the accuser’s lawsuit, and after she refused he retaliated against with unwarranted discipline and unfavorable working conditions.

In another case that resulted in a $119,000 payout, a female worker in the medical school’s OB-GYN department accused a supervisor of sending an email to several female employees showing cows having sex. A human resources employee threatened to fire her and told her to quit if she didn’t like her supervisors’ behavior.

At least one case resulted in a firing last year. An unidentified academic staff member lost his job after a student accused him of sexually assaulting her in his office.

Chancellor Rebecca Blank addressed the document release by writing on her blog that everyone on campus deserves an environment free of harassment. She added that complaints were spread across departments and the university now requires all complaints be reported to the Title IX coordinator so it’s easier to address them.