AutoZone fined $185 mil in discrimination case

tay

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A jury has awarded a local mother more than $185 million in damages in a pregnancy and gender discrimination case against her former employer AutoZone.


"I cry constantly because someone had heard my story," said Rosario Juarez, choking back tears. "Someone has heard and knows what I said was true."


An emotional Juarez talked about a staggering court victory over her former employer. Her saga first began in 2005. Juarez, the store manager for a year at an AutoZone in National City, says she told her district manager she was pregnant and received an odd response.


"He said, 'I feel sorry for you. Congratulations.' And he didn't say it in a positive tone, but a frustrated and upset tone," said Juarez.


She says her assigned list of tasks doubled after she became pregnant, including redoing displays that did not need to be redone. Even though she met all her sales targets, she says the district manager constantly berated her.


"He was constantly telling me, 'You can't handle it. You can't perform under your situation,'" said Juarez.


Months after she revealed she was pregnant, she was demoted. A year later, she filed a complaint with the state. The next year, she was fired.


Juarez filed a civil suit with a string of allegations, including wrongful termination, pregnancy and gender discrimination.


During the trial, her lawyers called a former district manager – an ordained minister – who described a meeting with high-level executives rejoicing over the expiration of a previous settlement agreement requiring AutoZone to promote women and track it.


The agreement attached to Chief Auto Parts transferred to AutoZone after it purchased the company.


"Specifically, it was said to this district manager, women weren't worth a (expletive) to AutoZone. He was offered a promotion if he fired all the women at his stores," said attorney Lawrence Bohm.


That is one piece of the evidence that swayed a jury.




On Monday, it awarded Juarez a stunning $185 million in punitive damages. On Friday, the same jury awarded her nearly $900,000 in compensatory damages.


"Punitive damages at this level send a clear message to the board of directors: pay attention," said Bohm.


Juarez said, "I'm hoping they got the message loud and clear so they don't do it to any other female."


The $185 million amount is $25 million more than Juarez's attorneys asked for. AutoZone says they plan to appeal, but declined any further comment.




Jury awards mother more than $185M in damages in pregnancy discrimination case against AutoZone - 10News.com KGTV ABC10 San Diego
 

Tecumsehsbones

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More lefties punishing corporations (who are people too) for good business practices, destroying jobs, and turning America into Muslim Socialist Kenya.
 

B00Mer

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More lefties punishing corporations (who are people too) for good business practices, destroying jobs, and turning America into Muslim Socialist Kenya.

...and the company will appeal the civil judgment and keep the ball in the courts for another 20 years.. she will be dead before she see a red nickle..

...or they will settle out of court.
 

captain morgan

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You stated, quite accurately, that the punitive damages will come down considerably on appeal.

Now that you've decided to go with belligerent, you're treating it as cut in stone.

Right out of the playbook.

Knock a couple of decimal places off that number, I'm still good with that.

Let's not forget to add the lost wages multiplied by X years in the damages as well.

I'll get the business plan together on this and we can do this formally... Maybe I can start with applying to Spa Lady, that ought to be a successful target
 

Tecumsehsbones

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Knock a couple of decimal places off that number, I'm still good with that.

Let's not forget to add the lost wages multiplied by X years in the damages as well.

I'll get the business plan together on this and we can do this formally... Maybe I can start with applying to Spa Lady, that ought to be a successful target
You honestly think AutoZone's conduct toward this woman, and women generally, was acceptable, don't you?
 

captain morgan

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Not even close on that mark.

But let me ask you, was it AutoZone or perhaps the d-bag (as an individual) that perpetuated the actual discrimination against this woman?

All in all, I'm willing to bet that the guy, doesn't have millions in cash to compensate this women to the tune of $185 million, so next best thing is to find someone that does.

Say, can she sue the State for rearing such a chauvinistic @sshole?... They have even more cash than AutoZone
 

Tecumsehsbones

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Not even close on that mark.

But let me ask you, was it AutoZone or perhaps the d-bag (as an individual) that perpetuated the actual discrimination against this woman?
From the article:

"During the trial, her lawyers called a former district manager – an ordained minister – who described a meeting with high-level executives rejoicing over the expiration of a previous settlement agreement requiring AutoZone to promote women and track it."

All in all, I'm willing to bet that the guy, doesn't have millions in cash to compensate this women to the tune of $185 million, so next best thing is to find someone that does.
So, AutoZone shouldn't be held responsible for the actions of its managers acting in their capacity as AutoZone managers, weilding power given to them by AutoZone?

Say, can she sue the State for rearing such a chauvinistic @sshole?... They have even more cash than AutoZone
OK, so from this I infer that while you find AutoZone's actions unacceptable, you believe there should be no recourse.
 

Tecumsehsbones

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How far up the money chain do we assess responsibility?

As a lawyer, you know what the general practice looks like
In all seriousness, one alternative that has considerable support is to give responsibility for punishing discrimination to a regulatory agency (what the teabaggers like to call "unelected government bureaucrats"). But the Congress, for reasons it no doubt thinks good, has left it to "private enforcement," i.e., the courts.

How far up the money chain? How about to the corporation that empowered the individual to discriminate, and then did nothing to correct the discrimination?
 

captain morgan

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In all seriousness, one alternative that has considerable support is to give responsibility for punishing discrimination to a regulatory agency (what the teabaggers like to call "unelected government bureaucrats"). But the Congress, for reasons it no doubt thinks good, has left it to "private enforcement," i.e., the courts.

The 'authority' that is selected to mete-out the punishment is a systemic consideration. My personal opinion doesn't really count here, however, I could see select merits in both systems.

How far up the money chain? How about to the corporation that empowered the individual to discriminate, and then did nothing to correct the discrimination?

I am not being facetious here, but who says it was the Corp that empowered him? Could one also assess responsibility to the Ministry? His upbringing via familial, academic or community influences? How about limit it to this guy being an idiot and assess it to him as an individual?

The Corp provided a venue, but not a mandate to perpetuate these actions.

So, in my eyes, the question remains relative to how broadly one casts the net, or does this warrant a more limited scope of responsibility.