A Black contractor who sued a popular electric car maker over claims of racial abuse on the job has rejected a $15 million payout after the judge trimmed the $137 million award by 89%.
The man sued the manufacturer after he claimed he was subjected to racial slurs and harassment by his colleagues in 2015 and 2016. Following a 7-day trial in San Francisco, the jury agreed.
The man who won the lawsuit was awarded $137 million in damages. The judge said the payout was excessive so he cut the award — significantly.
Earlier this month, the judge told the man’s attorneys that the plaintiff had two weeks to accept or reject the award and that he could not appeal the decision. The judge reportedly said the man didn’t identify a “controlling question of law” that warrants appealing the decision.
Rejecting the payout means the plaintiff would likely have to go to trial again.
More about the case and verdict can be found here.
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