The MDV Returns in the First Week of April - From Stanford University to a Michigan Movie House
Posted
3:09 PM
by Michael Fox
Probably because I haven't been looking regularly lately, it has been awhile since I have seen a $1,000,000 employment verdict, but Friday in Half Moon Bay, Stanford University came out on the short end of such a stick. A researcher who had a long running fight with Stanford, alleged it had interfered with her obtaining a new position. You can check out the story of the three week trial in the Contra Costa Times.
Some others have been out there as well. Earlier last week, A 52 year old movie cinema manager who got a court order against a part-time concession worker who was harassing him after their relationship went sour obtained a $3,000,000 jury verdict against National Amusements under the Michigan Whistleblower Act. The company fired him for showing favoritism towards her, he claimed it was for reporting the problem to the court. The Flint Journal story can be found here.
Also on Monday of last week, the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals revived a $1,000, 000 verdict for a Portland special education teacher who claimed she was fired after she began to speak up about the quality of services for special education students. An article on the reversal is in The Oregonian, where plaintiff's counsel estimates the judgment with interest will near $2,000,000, or you can read the case itself, Settlegoode v. Portland Public Schools (4/5/04) [pdf].