An employee at the Manitowoc Walmart has been awarded more than $125 million in punitive damages after winning a federal lawsuit against the corporate giant this week.
A Green Bay jury sided with Marlo Spaeth, a sales associate at the local store for nearly 16 years who has Down Syndrome, who terminated in July of 2015 because of her disability despite receiving continued positive performance evaluations.
That will be adjusted to the amount allowed under Federal law which is $300,000 plus $150,000 awarded in compensatory
damages. The lawsuit filed by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission in 2017 claimed Walmart violated the Americans with Disabilities Act that prohibits discrimination based on an employee’s disability. The EEOC stated that Spaeth had asked to be returned to her prior work schedule as changes had caused her difficulty.
Evidence indicated that Walmart didn’t grant her request and terminated her employment and denied her request to be rehired due to her disability.
Walmart spokesman Randy Hargrove says that they are reviewing its legal options.
