Massachusetts trial court upholds 18-to-1 ratio for retaliation against employee who filed discrimination complaint
Brown v. Office of Com’r of Probation (Mass. Superior Ct. July 5, 2011)
Decision: 28 Mass. L. Rptr. 549 (PDF here)
Opinion by: Justice Paul Troy
Employee of state probation office sued state for alleged gender discrimination, and for retaliating for filing a discrimination claim. The jury rejected her discrimination claim but accepted her retaliation claim, awarding $6,000 in compensatory damages and $500,000 in exemplary damages — 83 times the compensatories. The trial judge remitted the exemplary award to $108,000 — 18 times the compensatories.