Below are some recent reported verdicts in employment law cases.
Verdicts in Favor of Employees
- Three white police officers were awarded a $10 million verdict against the City of Philadelphia in a retaliation case. The officers alleged that they were retaliated against after the broke the “blue code of silence” and spoke out about racism against black officers. >
- A jury awarded $4.5 million to an employee of the City of Cambridge
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The 9th Circuit Court of Appeals upheld a verdict of $1.8 million against Sybase in a race discrimination case. The plaintiff, a Filipina-American, was the former director of human resources who alleged that she was fired because the HR department had “diversity problems” and had “too many women.”
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The 9th Circuit Court of Appeals upheld an award of $1 million to a farm worker who claimed sexual harassment, retaliation, and constructive discharge. The award included $53,000 in back pay, $91,000 for front pay, $350,000 in compensatory damages for emotional pain and distress and $500,000 in punitive damages (later reduced to $300,000 because of limits set by federal discrimination laws).
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An appeals court upheld a $1.25 million verdict against a city police department filed by a former police detective who claimed sex discrimination, harassment, and retaliation.
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A jury in Texas awarded $600,000 to a black state trooper who claimed that he was removed from the governor’s protective detail due to race.
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A jury in Washington D.C. awarded $488,000 to an employee of U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development who claimed age, sex, and race discrimination.
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A postal worker in Des Moines, Iowa, was awarded $382,500 in a race discrimination and racial harassment case. The verdict included $82,500 in back wages, $200,000 in emotional distress damages, and $100,000 in future emotional distress damages.
Verdicts in Favor of Employers
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The 5th Circuit Court of Appeals upheld a verdict in favor of the City of Columbus, Mississippi, in a case filed by an employee who alleged race discrimination in a promotion decision. The plaintiff was acting police chief when the city hired a white police chief based on the vote of a mayor who cast the deciding vote after the city council was deadlocked along racial lines.
