A Kentucky man took his employer to court after they threw him a birthday party he didn't want, and the jurors sided with him. Now, his employer owes him $450,000.
The verdict was handed down this week in Kenton County Circuit Court in Northern Kentucky. The plaintiff, an employee of Gravity Diagnostics, sued his employer after he was fired following a birthday party they threw for him in August.
According to court documents, the employee had notified the office manager that birthday parties trigger his anxiety disorder, and that "being the center of attention" will cause him to have a panic attack.
Then on August 7, the employee's birthday, the office arranged for a lunchtime birthday party in the lunchroom, according to the lawsuit. The incident caused the employee to "leave the office suddenly and spend his lunch break in his car."
The next day, the employee was called into a meeting, in which he said that he was "confronted and criticized" by the office manager about his reaction to the birthday party. That meeting then triggered another panic attack, and the employee asked the office manager to stop, according to the lawsuit.
The employee was then sent home for the next two days, and that weekend, he was notified that he was being fired "because of the events of the previous week."
In total, the jury awarded the employee $450,000 in damages. Of that amount, $300,000 was for the emotional distress, while $150,000 was for lost wages.
Link: 4029tv.com