Randal will work with the other members of the committee, Edward C. Dawda, Curtis J. Mann, Wayne S. Segal, and Marc K. Salach, to direct the leadership of the firm.

Randal joined Dawda as an Associate in 2001 and was made a Member in 2003. His practice is concentrated in the area of employment defense litigation, and he also provides advice to management on employment related matters and traditional labor law.

Randal has extensive experience in both state and federal courts and has handled appellate cases in both the Michigan Court of Appeals and the Federal Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals. Randal’s experience in administrative forums includes representing clients before the National Labor Relations Board, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the Michigan Department of Civil Rights, and Michigan Employment Security Agency. He has also arbitrated private claims with the American Arbitration Association and the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service.

Randal earned his J.D. from the University of Detroit Mercy School of Law in 1996, and his B.A. from Kalamazoo College in 1991, where he was a Chamberlain Fellow. He received a Germany University Fellowship for graduate work in the Federal Republic of Germany.

Randal is a member of the State Bar of Michigan, Labor and Employment Law Section, and was Vice-Chairman of the Oakland County Bar Association Employment and Labor Law Committee from 2001 to 2002 and Chairman from 2002 to 2003. Randal has also lectured for various civic groups in the Detroit Metropolitan Area.

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According to this newly enacted law, one instance of cyberbullying subjects a bully to misdemeanor charges, punishable by imprisonment for up to 93 days and/or a fine of no more than $500.00. Having more than one violation will subject the bully to imprisonment for up to 1 year or $1,000, or both.

Additionally, a person who continuously bullies an individual, creating a pattern of harassing or intimidating behavior, and that behavior is the cause of serious injury to the victim, is subject to felony charges punishable by imprisonment of 5 years and/or a fine of up to $5,000.

However, if a bully violates the statute in a continued pattern or harassment or intimidating behavior that leads to the death of the victim, the bully is guilty of a felony punishable by imprisonment for up to 10 years and/or a fine up to $10,000.

These patterns of offenses require a showing of two or more instances of noncontinuous acts which amount to harassing or intimidating behavior. According to the law, a “cyberbully” is a person who posts a message or statement in a public media forum about any other person if both the following apply:

• It was posted with the intent to place a person in fear of bodily harm or death and it expresses an intent to commit violence against them,
• The message or statement is posted with intent to communicate a threat and it is known that the message will be viewed as a threat.

For any questions, please contact:
Randal R. Cole, Labor and Employment Defense Attorney
(248) 642-3025 | Rcole@dmms.com

A special thank you to law clerk, Kathryn Kaleth for contributing to this article.

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