Alderwoods prevails in trial case of alleged employment retaliation

Client(s) Alderwoods Group, Inc.

Jones Day represented Alderwoods Group, Inc. in an alleged employment retaliation case. After two weeks of trial, a federal court jury returned a verdict in favor of our client, Alderwoods Group, Inc. in a case that originally involved over a dozen claims brought by two plaintiffs alleging various acts of religious and sexual discrimination, harassment, and unequal pay under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Equal Pay Act. Jones Day successfully obtained the dismissal of all claims except one plaintiff's retaliation claim at the motion to dismiss and summary judgment stages. At trial, the plaintiff sought back and front pay of over one million dollars, in addition to compensatory and punitive damages on the retaliation claim. The eight person jury found in Alderwoods' favor on five of the six alleged counts of retaliation. The one retaliation count where the jury found liability involved a mere 12-day fully paid leave period that implicated neither front pay nor back pay. The jury awarded the plaintiff zero compensatory and zero punitive damages.

Prise v. Alderwoods Group, Inc., C.A. 2:06-cv-1470-JFC (W.D. Pa.)