John is the founder of the Minneapolis employment and civil rights litigation firm of John A. Klassen, P.A. He received law degrees from the University of British Columbia (1992) and Seattle University (1993).
Since 1994, John has practiced exclusively in the areas of employment and civil rights law. He has represented employees and victims of civil rights violations throughout the United States, in the areas of harassment and discrimination law, False Claims Act/Qui Tam claims, whistleblower law, wage and hour disputes, class action claims, employment contract disputes, and sexual abuse. Employees consult with him on a regular basis in regard to their severance agreements and non-competition agreements.
John’s cases have received international press coverage, including recent stories by the New York Times, the Washington Post and the International Herald Tribune. His cases have been featured on CNN and Minnesota Public Radio. In 2006 and 2007, John successfully litigated cases against the Minneapolis Fire Department and its fire chief for alleged sexual harassment and retaliation. This series of three related cases included this country’s first known reverse sexual orientation discrimination case against the head of a large public agency. Past victories on behalf of victims of workplace discrimination and harassment include million dollar-range results for his clients.
John lives and works in the heart of Minneapolis, Minnesota. He is married and has two children.
Areas of Practice
Employment Litigation – Employee
Whistleblower
Sexual Harassment
Discrimination in Employment
Age Discrimination
Gender Discrimination
Race Discrimination
Qui Tam/Whistleblower and Medicare/Medicaid Fraud
Retaliation
Severance Agreements
Non-competition Agreements
Civil Rights
Sexual Abuse
Bar Admissions
Minnesota, 1994
U.S. District Court District of Minnesota, 1994
U.S. Court of Appeals 8th Circuit, 1997
Education
University of British Columbia, Faculty of Law, Vancouver, British Columbia
LL.B. – 1992
Seattle University, School of Law, Seattle, Washington
J.D. – 1993
University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota
Honors: Member of the Honors Division
Major: International Relations
Published Works
Race, Color and National Origin Discrimination, Employment Law Handbook, Minnesota Trial Lawyers Association, February, 2002
Defamation in Discipline and Discharge, Minnesota Trial Lawyers Magazine, Spring, 2003
The Duty of Loyalty – What Employees Owe to Their Employers, Minnesota Trial Lawyers Magazine, Summer, 2004
The Accidental Federal Court Litigator, Minnesota Trial Lawyers Magazine, Fall, 2004
Sexual Harassment Cases After Duncan v. GMC, Minnesota Trial Lawyers Magazine, Spring, 2005
Public Employee Protections Against Retaliation for Free Speech – The Right to Speak About Matters of Public Concern, Minnesota Trial Lawyers Magazine, Spring, 2006
