Aug 4, 2025
ANNE ARUNDEL COUNTY, Maryland - Today, we entered our appearance on behalf of Eric Hemphill, and filed an amended complaint against Indian Creek School and Sage Dinining Services. The case highlights critical issues surrounding employment discrimination, rehabilitation, and the fundamental right to access our court system without fear of retaliation.
Mr. Hemphill worked successfully for nearly 10 years as a food service director at Indian Creek School through his employer Sage Dining Services. His criminal convictions from 1987 and 1997 were fully disclosed during the hiring process and deemed acceptable under established policies. Throughout his decade-long employment, Mr. Hemphill received consistently positive performance reviews and regular salary increases, demonstrating exemplary service to the school community.
The situation changed dramatically after Mr. Hemphill filed a breach of contract lawsuit against Indian Creek School regarding his son's education in April 2024. Within days of learning about the lawsuit, the school contacted Sage Dining Services to request Mr. Hemphill's immediate removal from school property, suddenly citing concerns about his criminal background that had been known and accepted for over a decade.
The lawsuit alleges that both defendants coordinated a campaign of retaliation designed to punish Mr. Hemphill for exercising his constitutional right to seek legal redress through the court system. This conduct allegedly violated multiple clear mandates of Maryland public policy, including protections for court access and the state's commitment to rehabilitation and second chances for individuals with criminal histories.
The case raises important questions about employment discrimination and the barriers faced by individuals with criminal records who have successfully demonstrated their rehabilitation. It addresses fundamental questions about whether successfully rehabilitated individuals with criminal histories can truly participate as equal members of society, or whether they remain vulnerable to having their past weaponized against them when they dare to exercise their legal rights.
Mr. Hemphill's decade of exemplary service exemplifies the success of Maryland's second-chance employment policies, making the alleged retaliation particularly troubling. The case is Eric Hemphill v. Indian Creek School, et al. (Case No. C-02-CV-25-002096).