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Judge decreases UPS chauffeur's $237.6 million bias verdict to $39.6 million

A federal judge lowered a $237.6. million jury award versus United Parcel Service to. $ 39.6 million when it comes to a Black previous chauffeur who implicated. the bundle delivery business of workplace bias and wrongful. shooting.

In a choice made public on Friday, U.S. District Judge. Thomas Rice in Yakima, Washington, accepted UPS' demand to. throw away a $198 million in punitive damages award, finding. jurors acted unreasonably in granting the amount to Tahvio Gratton.

The decision does not affect the jury's $39.6 million award. to Gratton for psychological distress, but UPS plans to ask that it. be thrown away also.

Rice found no evidence that a UPS manager intended to. commandeer a probe into whether Gratton touched a female employee. wrongly on a loading dock, leading to Gratton's. October 2021 termination after 5 years of employment.

He also stated Gratton had the ability to inform his side of the story,. with help from his union.

Gratton stated UPS used the filling dock incident, for which. he said he asked forgiveness instantly, as a pretext for firing him. over his complaints about the work environment.

In his suit, Gratton stated managers at a UPS facility. in Yakima often passed him over for route assignments in. favor of less senior motorists and provided him less desirable trucks. and paths than white chauffeurs got.

Gratton also stated a more youthful white supervisor consistently. called him young boy and defended using that term by saying: I'm. from the South. That's how I talk.

UPS said on Monday it prepares to look for a new trial and reverse. the rest of the Sept. 12 decision.

Attorneys for Gratton did not instantly respond to. ask for remark.

The case is Gratton v United Parcel Service Inc, U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Washington, No. 22-03149.

(source: Reuters)