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Compliance September 14, 2006
Calif. Judge Calls $61M FedEx Discrimination Verdict "Excessive"
September 14, 2006 (PLANSPONSOR.com) - A California
superior court judge chopped the $61-million verdict handed
down in June against shipping company Federal Express in a
discrimination suit to $12.4 million, calling the initial
award "excessive."
Reported by Adrien Martin
According to the Recorder, Alameda County Judge Stephen Dombrink said that the evidence failed to support the initial verdict in the case, in which a company manager was accused of racial discrimination and harassment by two Lebanese-American drivers.
Dombrink called the harassment “mostly just offensive name-calling,” according to the newspaper.
The Recorder reported that the plaintiffs’ attorney said he was still reviewing the decision and had not yet decided on whether he would request a new trial.
In addition to reducing the award against the shipping
company, Dombrink slashed the damages against Federal
Express manager Stacy Shoun from $1 million to
$400,000, an amount her attorney intends to have reduced
even further upon appeal, the Recorder reported.