The numerical value of a settlement or verdict in a discrimination lawsuit can vary widely. Damages will often incorporate lost wages, emotional distress, and other personal or financial losses related to the discrimination. In one recent case, a Santa Barbara jury awarded a plaintiff from Ecuador $1.13 million in his discrimination lawsuit against Teledyne Reson Inc. The verdict was handed down three years after the lawsuit was filed and three weeks after a jury trial. According to reports and statements from the EEOC, the victim was finally vindicated after being terminated without warning in 2011.
In this case, the plaintiff was an engineer who held a master’s degree and a Ph.D. in engineering. Formerly a professor at Santa Barbara City College, he was hired by the Denmark company Reson in 1992. The company grew over the 20-plus years of his employment until it finally merged with Teledyne technologies in 2013. An attorney for the plaintiff argued that there was rampant discrimination in the company and at the executive level, actively favoring less qualified Danish employees over more senior and qualified members of the staff. Within the company there was an understanding that those who had Danish passports would never be terminated regardless of how they performed.
The plaintiff and his legal team argued during trial that termination had nothing to do with his performance, as he had high-productivity and excellent reviews. According to the compliant, the employee who took over his position had fewer qualifications and lacked the experienced of the veteran engineer. The company was sued for discrimination and was also under investigation for destroying company documents that could have been used as evidence of violation of California employment laws. According to the complaint, the plaintiff suffered age discrimination and retaliation because he requested “reasonable accommodations” for injuries he sustained on the job.
The $1.13 million judgment is intended to compensate the plaintiff for unfair treatment and emotional distress. He also suffered racial discrimination, evidenced when the company forced him to travel to Mexico during a time of cartel violence because he wasn’t white. After years of discrimination and mistreatment in the workplace, the plaintiff sunk into depression and required therapy and medication. Since termination, he struggled to find a new job and was nearly forced out of the community. The trial was a success for the plaintiff and is a reminder to all employers that discrimination based on age, national origin, and race are illegal. Though discrimination still exists in the workplace, employees should also remember that they have the right to take action.
Employment lawsuits can be filed with assistance from the Nassiri Law Group, practicing in Los Angeles, Riverside, and Orange County. Call 949.375.4734.
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California’s Top Employment Law Mistakes, Oct. 26, 2013, Orange County Employment Lawyer Blog