News emerged last week of the horrifying conditions that employees of New York state lawmaker Vito Lopez allegedly had to work under, not long after a shocking suit was filed against the Department of Homeland Security.
During sexual harassment suits, unsavory allegations come to light, and in many cases companies will quickly settle to avoid bad publicity.
But in some instances, these cases do go to trial and even reach a verdict.
While appeals courts ultimately slashed some of the awards, in all of these cases juries initially sent a message to corporate defendants by handing down multi-million dollar verdicts—in some cases to lone plaintiffs.
A legal secretary won a multi-million dollar suit against a powerful law firm.
Year: 1994
Jury award: $7.1 million
The allegations: In September 1994, a San Francisco jury awarded former Baker & McKenzie legal secretary Rena Weeks $7.1 million in punitive damages, which a judge reduced to $3.5 million, the San Francisco Chronicle reported.
She accused her boss, trademark attorney Martin Greenstein, of lunging at her chest, pouring M&Ms down her breast pocket, and grabbing at her hips. The trial gripped the Bay Area at the time, and many legal watchers considered the verdict a landmark victory.
A former UBS sales assistant said a supervisor made relentless sexual advances.
Year: 2011
Jury award: $10.6 million
The allegations: Carla C. Ingraham, who was 51 in 2011, claimed her supervisor made repeated comments about her breast size, talked about how big his penis was, and asked her about sexual fantasies, Bloomberg reported.
UBS fired her when she complained about the supervisor, she claimed. UBS says it prohibits retaliation against employees who complain of harassment, Bloomberg reported.
A former team executive for the New York Knicks says she was fired a month after complaining a famed coach harassed her.
Year: 2007
Jury award: $11.6 million
The allegations: Anucha Browne Sanders claimed famed Knicks coach Isiah Thomas harassed her over a period of two years, and that she was fired a month after she formally complained about it, the New York Times reported.
See the rest of the story at Business Insider
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