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More On Workplace Romance - 4. Termination Was Retaliation, Not Harassment

A federal jury awarded $252,000 to a woman who sued her restaurant employer for unlawful retaliation when she was terminated after breaking off a sexual relationship with her supervisor (Lipphardt v. Durango Steakhouse of Brandon Inc., M.D. Fla., No. 97-1692-CIUV-T-17C, 10/29/99).

The woman claimed the supervisor constantly tried to discuss their previous relationship and the possibility of getting back together after the break up, according to court documents. After a confrontation at the restaurant, the employee complained about her supervisor's actions to management and then went on vacation. She was terminated on the day she returned, for what she said were false allegations.

Following a five-day trial in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District Court of Florida, the jury found in favor of the restaurant on the employee's sexual harassment claim filed under Title VII of the 1964 Civil Rights Act.

However, it found for the fired employee on a separate claim of retaliation, awarding her $42,000 in compensatory damages, $10,000 in damages for emotional distress, and $200,000 in punitive damages, according to attorney David J. Sokol, who represented the employee.

Allergies and Asthma in the Workplace Deserve Attention 

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