$51 Million Dollar Verdict Awarded In Age Discrimination Case - Possibly Largest Ever
A former Lockheed Martin engineer, who sued for age discrimination after being laid off at age 66, was awarded $51.6 million by a jury in a federal court in New Jersey. This may be the highest amount ever awarded to an individual in an age discrimination case, and stands as a stark reminder that age discrimination remains a big — and potentially very expensive — issue for HR.
Robert Braden was a mid-level manager who spent almost 29 years at a Lockheed Martin facility in Moorestown, NJ. He claims that he was a target in a reduction in force plan to replace older workers with younger ones, and that he and other older workers consistently received less pay and lower reviews and raises than younger workers.
The $51.6 award breaks down like this: