Marie Jean Pierre was awarded $21 million in punitive damages by a federal jury against the Conrad Miami hotel property — at which she worked as a dishwasher for greater than ten years — because she was fired by her boss for refusing to work on Sundays due to religious reasons.
$21 Million Awarded to Employee Because Hotel Fired Her For Not Working On Sundays
When she was hired in 2006, she had informed her employer that she could not work on Sundays because of her religious beliefs; but George Colon — who was the manager of the kitchen of the hotel property in 2015 — assigned her to work on Sundays anyway.
Pierre — who is 60 years old and a devout Christian missionary who was born in Haiti — managed to trade shifts with co-workers for several weeks so that she may attend Bethel Baptist Church in Miami on Sundays; but when her boss ultimately demanded that she show up for work, she refused. He subsequently terminated her employment at the hotel property.
“Pierre filed a complaint with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, which issued her a ‘right to sue’ notice. She sued the Conrad, managed by HEI Hotels & Resorts and part of the Hilton collection, in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida in May 2017”, according to this article written by Taylor Dolven for the Miami Herald. “‘Defendant retaliated against Plaintiff by, among other things, creating a hostile work environment for Plaintiff, reprimanding Plaintiff for her religious beliefs, and terminating Plaintiff,‘ Pierre’s complaint read.”
Her attorney originally asked for $50 million — but a federal jury in Miami ordered the hotel property on Monday, January 14, 2019 to pay Pierre $36,000.00 for lost wages; $500,000.00 for emotional pain and mental anguish; and $21 million in punitive damages. There is a cap on punitive damage awards in federal court, so Pierre cannot receive the entire $21 million — but her attorney reportedly expects that she will receive at least $500,000.00.
Hilton claimed in an official statement that multiple concessions were made to accommodate the personal and religious commitments of Marie Jean Pierre during her ten years with the Conrad Miami hotel property. Management at the hotel property reportedly intends to appeal that decision.
Summary
I normally no longer report on stories like this — but although I firmly believe that people are entitled to not have management discriminate against their religious beliefs, I found the judgement of $21 million to be rather excessive. Hot coffee from McDonald’s, anyone?!?
Then again — speaking in general and not necessarily specifically to this case — if an occupation has a requirement which an employee cannot fulfill, then perhaps that person should simply find employment elsewhere.
$36,000.00 for lost wages and $500,000.00 for emotional pain and mental anguish should have more than sufficed in sending a message to management of that hotel property, in my opinion.
Photograph ©2016 by Brian Cohen.
