Jury awards $405,083 to veteran in discrimination suit

A federal jury unanimously awarded $405,083 to a veteran who suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder in an employment disability discrimination lawsuit against a senior living facility in St. Petersburg, Florida, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission announced Monday.

The Princess Martha, which is managed by TJM Property Management and TJM Properties Inc., allegedly rescinded the individual’s job offer after she failed a drug screening even though she made repeated attempts to provide proof of the legally prescribed medication she takes for her condition, the EEOC said.

The case, U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission v. Princess Martha LLC et al., was filed in federal court in Tampa, Florida, in September 2022.

During the trial, a management official from the Princess Martha also admitted to submitting false information to the EEOC during its investigation of the individual’s claim, the agency said.

The eight-person jury concluded that the applicant had a disability, adequately disclosed the disability and was denied a reasonable accommodation. The jury awarded $5,083 in back pay, $50,000 in compensatory damages, and $350,000 in punitive damages, the EEOC said.