Lawyer sues former law firm, accuses old boss of throwing folder at her

A Chicago attorney is suing her former law firm and its partners over claims her old boss threw a stuffed "redwell" folder at her.

Jan R. Kowalski filed suit Feb. 20 in the Cook County Circuit Court against Kalcheim Haber LLP and its partners Michael W. Kalcheim and Michael A. Haber, individually and doing business as the Chicago firm.

According to the complaint, Kowalski was an employee at Kalcheim Haber on Feb. 22, 2013. She claims that Kalcheim, while acting as her supervisor at about 4 p.m. that day, "coiled his arm holding a stuffed redwell folder," aimed it at her and "forcefully threw" it at her, "causing her to wince in pain."

Kowalski contends the folder made contact with her right wrist, causing personal injuries that required immediate medical attention, were not accidental and were not received during the course of her employment.

Her suit includes counts alleging willful and wanton misconduct, battery and intentional infliction of emotion distress against Kalcheim, as well as defamation and respondeat superior counts against Kalcheim Haber.

In the defamation count, Kowalski's suit accuses the law firm of publishing false and defamatory statements about her to the Illinois Department of Employment Security, although it does not provide details on the allegedly defamatory statements.

Kowalski is seeking more than $50,000 in damages and is representing herself in the matter.

Cook County Circuit Court Case No. 2015L001839

This is a report on a civil lawsuit filed in Cook County Circuit Court. The details in this report come from an original complaint filed by a plaintiff. Please note that a complaint represents an accusation by a private individual, not the government. It is not an indication of guilt and represents only one side of the story.