$1 Million Punitive Damages Assessed Wal-Mart For Firing Pharmacist That Demanded Equal Pay

$1 million in punitive damages against Wal-Mart has been reinstated in favor of a pharmacist that demanded equal pay for her work. Cynthia Haddad complained twice that she was not offered the raise and bonuses that her male colleagues received as a pharmacy store manager. After the second time she demanded equal pay, Wal-Mart made up a reason to try and justify firing her. After she was fired, she sued tor gender discrimination and retaliation. A jury ruled in her favor and assessed $1 million punitive damages against Wal-Mart, which a trial court judge later eliminated.  The Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court reinstated the $1 million punitive damages and explained its decision as follows:

There was evidence that Wal-Mart paid the plaintiff substantially less than less-experienced male pharmacists, refused to pay the plaintiff the pharmacy manager salary differential that it paid to male pharmacists, and terminated the plaintiff purportedly for a single policy violation.