LOS ANGELES – Rite Aid was ordered Friday to pay $5 million in punitive damages to a former manager who said he was harassed by supervisors after he suffered a neck injury while trying to stop a robbery at his Lincoln Heights store, bringing his total award to $8.7 million.
A Los Angeles Superior Court jury deliberated for an hour before finding in favor of 55-year-old Robert Leggins of Lancaster. On Thursday, the panel concluded he was the victim of disability harassment and wrongful termination and awarded him $3.7 million in compensatory damages.
The panel also found that Rite Aid acted with malice, setting the stage for Friday’s second phase of trial to determine whether Leggins should be awarded punitive damages.
The suit, filed in June 2013, stated that Leggins had to undergo several surgeries after the 2007 holdup, in which his spine also was hurt. He said the injury made it hard for him to lift, pull and push merchandise.
In 2011, Leggins asked for a transfer to a lower-volume store in a better area and was told by one of his supervisors that he could move once he “cleaned up” his current store.
When Leggins complained he was in pain and could not clean stock rooms, another of his supervisors gave him more such assignments and accused him of “slacking off,” according to his court papers.
The additional work caused him more injuries and he hurt his neck and shoulder breaking down a pallet of merchandise in a stock room, the suit stated.
One supervisor told Leggins that “all black people do is complain” and said he was being “insubordinate” for continuing to ask for a transfer, according to his lawsuit.
Leggins says he was suspended in January 2013 for closing his store at 5:30 p.m. on New Year’s Day, even though he was given permission by his supervisor to do so. Leggins, a nearly 30-year Rite Aid veteran, had closed his store early on that holiday for two decades, according to his lawsuit.
Leggins was fired in February 2013. Rite Aid attorneys stated in their court papers that he was fired for closing early on New Year’s Day and because of performance deficiencies, including improper treatment of employees who reported to him.
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Mary says
I think it was well deserved JUST for the remark about “Black” people. That behavior has to stop. Just because someone is “Black” does not mean they are lazy. I have black friends that are SO kind to me and they work their butts off just as hard as I do. I am so sick of discrimination towards people, any nationality, so for that remark alone, I think he got what he deserves. No one deserves that. No one deserves to be bullied. No one deserves to get fired for closing a store early on a very well celebrated day. I hope he retired and enjoys the rest of his life for all the mean things that were done to him by those employees. Let them laugh that off now in the stock room.
Danny says
What a joke the jury must of been blind and hard of hearing
TOM says
Are you serious 8 million like he would ever make that amount in his lifetime, now the price of an ice cream cone is going up sorry kids.
sh says
Read the article. He was awarded exemplary damages along with compensation he received for permanent injuries that were increased by his employer
Alex says
I worked with this guy and he was a top notch man and was happy to work I remember when he got let go I was so disappointed at rite aide for letting him go for the reasons stated above. They tried to threaten other employees about filing anything and that we would get the same treatment