Post by Logan on May 8, 2016 3:22:16 GMT -6
Boston's black city treasury workers face discrimination, judge rules
A Suffolk Superior Court judge has upheld a judgment against the city in a racial discrimination case, but slashed most of a $10 million punitive jury award because she ruled the amount was too high.
Despite the smaller award, Judge Elizabeth M. Fahey wrote late last month that black employees of the city’s Treasury Division have faced consistent discrimination on the job.
The division also failed to promote black employees beyond middle management for at least 16 years, she wrote. While there was one promotion of a black employee, Fahey wrote it could be inferred that the move was due to charges of discrimination.
In October, a jury awarded city worker Chantal Charles nearly $10.9 million in damages after finding Charles was “diminished and demeaned” because of her race and for her 2011 complaint to the Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination, Fahey wrote. Fahey’s order came in response to the city’s motion for a new trial and a request for the damage award to be reduced.
Fahey reduced the punitive damage award to $2 million plus interest because it was not comparable to similar awards in other race discrimination cases. But she said the amount should still send “a necessary message of condemnation and deterrence” to the city.
Read more: www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2016/05/07/black-city-treasury-workers-face-discrimination-judge-rules/Q3H0jEyGJhKmAzi5SjbDfK/story.html
A Suffolk Superior Court judge has upheld a judgment against the city in a racial discrimination case, but slashed most of a $10 million punitive jury award because she ruled the amount was too high.
Despite the smaller award, Judge Elizabeth M. Fahey wrote late last month that black employees of the city’s Treasury Division have faced consistent discrimination on the job.
The division also failed to promote black employees beyond middle management for at least 16 years, she wrote. While there was one promotion of a black employee, Fahey wrote it could be inferred that the move was due to charges of discrimination.
In October, a jury awarded city worker Chantal Charles nearly $10.9 million in damages after finding Charles was “diminished and demeaned” because of her race and for her 2011 complaint to the Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination, Fahey wrote. Fahey’s order came in response to the city’s motion for a new trial and a request for the damage award to be reduced.
Fahey reduced the punitive damage award to $2 million plus interest because it was not comparable to similar awards in other race discrimination cases. But she said the amount should still send “a necessary message of condemnation and deterrence” to the city.
Read more: www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2016/05/07/black-city-treasury-workers-face-discrimination-judge-rules/Q3H0jEyGJhKmAzi5SjbDfK/story.html