$578,000 Federal Court Jury Verdict in Employment Discrimination Case
On August 12, 2011 a federal court jury in the Northern District rendered a $578,500 verdict against Boyd Tunica, Inc. d/b/a Sam's Town Hotel & Gaming Hall in an employment discrimination case. Here is the Jury's verdict. Here is a Clarion-Ledger article on the verdict.
The jury awarded the following damages:
- $102,000: back pay
- $76,500: mental anxiety
- $400,000: punitive damages.
The plaintiff Marc Silverberg alleged that he was discriminated against because he is Jewish. Here is the Complaint.Here is plaintiff's brief opposing summary judgment.
Jim Waide of Tupelo represented the plaintiff. Gary Friedman and La Toya Merrit with Phelps Dunbar in Jackson represented the defendant. Judge Allen Pepper Jr. was the trial judge.
Saw this in the Jury Verdict Reporter. It sounded like the jury was very confused on the instructions, which may send it back down.
OTOH, it also sounded like they heard substantial evidence that Silverberg's supervisor was an grade-A asshole of a type seldom encountered ever since we blasted the Third Reich out of existence.
Despite how hard they are to win, I am never surprised to see Jim Waide prevail in a discrimination case. Anderson's evaluation of Silverberg's supervisor appears spot on from the case report.
Employment cases are impossible. Courts unsympathetic, proof difficult and then the plaintiffs! I'm convinced the ones with good cases don't sue. A friend of mine took a case where the plaintiff claimed she was being sexually harassed by her supervisor. She was arrested for prostitution right after the case was filed. But Jim Waide is really, really good.