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.
The employee asked the office manager days before his birthday in August to not arrange a birthday celebration as they did for other employees.
Then on Aug. 7, the employee's birthday, the office arranged for a lunchtime birthday party in the lunchroom, according to the lawsuit. The employee said that he found out about the party as he was headed to his lunch break, which triggered a panic attack.
The incident caused the employee to "leave the office suddenly and spend his lunch break in his car."
The employee sent a text message to the office manager, asking why she failed to accommodate his request to not have a party.
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."
The employee sued Gravity Diagnostics on the grounds of disability discrimination and retaliation. According to the lawsuit, the employee said because Gravity Diagnostics didn't accommodate his anxiety disorder, the birthday party and the events afterward caused him "to suffer from a loss of income and benefits and emotional distress and mental anxiety."
The jury sided with the employee, agreeing that Gravity Diagnostics violated Kentucky law that protects workers who have a disability from "adverse employment actions."
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.
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.
The employee asked the office manager days before his birthday in August to not arrange a birthday celebration as they did for other employees.
Then on Aug. 7, the employee's birthday, the office arranged for a lunchtime birthday party in the lunchroom, according to the lawsuit. The employee said that he found out about the party as he was headed to his lunch break, which triggered a panic attack.
The incident caused the employee to "leave the office suddenly and spend his lunch break in his car."
The employee sent a text message to the office manager, asking why she failed to accommodate his request to not have a party.
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."
The employee sued Gravity Diagnostics on the grounds of disability discrimination and retaliation. According to the lawsuit, the employee said because Gravity Diagnostics didn't accommodate his anxiety disorder, the birthday party and the events afterward caused him "to suffer from a loss of income and benefits and emotional distress and mental anxiety."
The jury sided with the employee, agreeing that Gravity Diagnostics violated Kentucky law that protects workers who have a disability from "adverse employment actions."
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.