MIAMI – A Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist has filed a federal lawsuit against the University of Miami, alleging it created a hostile work environment and unlawfully terminated him.
Polakovic
Plaintiff Gary Polakovic filed his lawsuit July 15 against the university in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida.
Polakovic, a Miami-Dade County resident, contends The U – as it is often called – violated the Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967. The ADEA forbids employment discrimination against anyone at least 40 years old or older in the U.S.
According to his lawsuit, Polakovic, 66, is a marketing and communications expert with more than 41 years of professional experience.
He is a past recipient of the John S. Knight Journalism Fellowship at Stanford University. The fellowship is a one-year, non-matriculated graduate studies program designed to build expertise in news media by turning journalists into subject matter experts.
He worked for 23 years in daily journalism at major metropolitan newspapers in California, including nine years at the Los Angeles Times as an editor and reporter. He was a member of the L.A. Times Metro staff that won the Pulitzer Prize in 2004 and was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize in 2001.
Polakovic also was the recipient of the American Institute of Biological Sciences media award, a California Newspaper Publishers Association public service award, and a Society of Professional Journalists general excellence award.
He also helped build and lead a national journalism trade organization, the Society of Environmental Journalists, having served on its governing board from 1997 to 2001.
From 2007 to 2017, he also launched and managed a public affairs firm, Make Over Earth Inc., in Los Angeles. Make Over Earth’s purpose was to help organizations solve socio-political challenges for complex energy and environmental projects.
Some of Make Over Earth’s most notable clients included Boeing Co., BP corporation, Caltech, City of Los Angeles, BYD Motors, Port of Los Angeles, Natural Resources Defense Council, and former California Gov. Schwarzenegger’s administration, among others.
From 2018 to 2024, Polakovic worked as a management-level communications professional for two leading U.S. research universities: University of Southern California, from 2018 to 2021, and Colorado State University, from 2021 to 2023.
On Jan. 2, 2024, The U hired Polakovic as its Director of Media Relations and Medical Communications at the Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center. He relocated from Colorado to Florida to join Sylvester – his final stop before retirement.
Polakovic was one of two directors on the seven-member Sylvester marketing and communications team.
The second director role on the Sylvester team was held by Melanie Velasquez, who is about 30 years Polakovic’s junior. Polakovic was supervised by Assistant Vice President Melissa Gomez, who also is about 30 years younger.
“During Mr. Polakovic’s tenure as Director, Gomez engaged in a series of acts, and made comments in the workplace, which escalated over time, based on age that were severe and pervasive, and culminated in his unlawful termination,” his 20-page complaint states.
Soon after joining the Sylvester team at The U, Polakovic claims Gomez subjected him to “excessive monitoring” due to his age. His work also was more heavily scrutinized than those of his younger colleagues, he contends.
“Unlike his younger counterparts, Mr. Polakovic was required to gain Gomez’s approval prior to engaging in even minor media outreach tactics that he knew to be standard industry practice from his decades in the field,” he noted in his filing.
Gomez also allegedly made “unprofessional and offensive” comments about his health – but did not make similar comments or exhibit any frustrations with his younger counterparts.
Polakovic contends Gomez also believed him to be more “forgettable” due to his age, and would “badger” him with various text message reminders ahead of meetings.
However, he noted in his filing, she did not send similar messages to his younger counterparts, asking about their whereabouts.
“In addition, Mr. Polakovic, unlike the employees outside of his protected classification, and in substantially similar roles, was given disproportionately heavy workloads by Gomez with minimal support,” the complaint states.
Meanwhile, Polakovic contends Velasquez was provided a full-time assistant to help support her workload.
“As a result, Mr. Polakovic worked in chronic overtime to maintain the same productivity as his younger counterpart, Ms. Velasquez,” the complaint states. “Mr. Polakovic was also tasked with producing nearly twice as much work as his younger counterparts.”
Polakovic contends Gomez became increasingly frustrated with him at the end of summer 2024.
During a meeting in front of others, he claims she blurted out sarcastically, “You say you have all this experience – 40 years. So when are we going to start seeing some benefit from all your years of experience?”
Polakovic claims the interaction left him feeling “demoralized.”
Despite this, in September 2024, Polakovic received a work performance bonus of $4,675 and a letter of approbation from the university’s executive leadership.
Following his bonus and positive reviews, from November 2024 to January 2025, he was subjected to an “increasing series of offensive acts and statements” by Gomez.
He contends that beginning in December 2024, Gomez excluded him from all “significant strategic meetings,” while the younger members of his team were included.
Then, on Jan. 7 – less than two days before Polakovic had to undergo surgery for cancer – Gomez allegedly sent him a warning memorandum accusing him of being unable to perform responsibilities without constant supervision/guidance, lack of accountability, and disruptive behavior.
“Mr. Polakovic was taken aback by the unfounded accusations as he had just received a work performance bonus three months earlier from Defendant’s executive leadership,” the complaint states. “Gomez had never provided Mr. Polakovic him [sic] even so much as one written evaluation of his work performance prior to the warning memorandum.”
Ultimately, Polakovic was terminated by Gomez on Feb. 10 over a press release that allegedly had not been properly edited.
“Mr. Polakovic’s work in writing the draft press release was held to a different standard based upon age than other press releases prepared by younger members of the Sylvester marcomm team,” he argues in the complaint.
On April 3, Polakovic filed a Charge of Discrimination with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, which was dual filed with the Florida Commission on Human Relations. On April 16, the EEOC issued Polakovic a Notice of Right to Sue.
Polakovic seeks compensation for lost wages and benefits, pecuniary damages, liquidated damages for Gomez’s willful conduct, compensatory damages, and attorneys’ fees and costs.
The Law Office of Ely Gonzalez PA in Miami is representing Polakovic in the action.
