Tyler J. Olney A Genesee County Circuit Court recently delivered a verdict of $11,670,128.33 in a racial discrimination case against the Michigan Department of Corrections. The case originated from complaints made by Lisa Griffey that she was racially harassed on a daily basis. Ms. Griffey complained about the racism to her supervisor and allegedly suffered retaliation as a result. At the advice of counsel, plaintiff went public with her case - giving a news interview in the hopes that the retaliation would stop. In reality, the opposite happened. Once Ms. Griffey's case hit the news, her husband Cedric Griffey - who also worked for the Michigan Department of Corrections - was cited for several acts of misconduct and was ultimately terminated. At trial it was revealed that a high level administrator actually sent a copy of Ms. Griffey's lawsuit to her husband's boss. The jury concluded this act was done in an effort to fire Mr. Griffey and punish Ms. Griffey for her civil rights case. The jury returned a unanimous verdict in favor of Ms. Griffey, awarding her $11,670,128.33. Additionally, because the case involved racial discrimination, the plaintiff is entitled to payment of her attorney fees and costs. |