A state appeals court has upheld another employee discrimination case against the Missouri Department of Corrections.
The case could potentially cost taxpayers more than $700,000. The St. Louis Post Dispatch says it’s the latest in a series of big-ticket judgments against prison system administrators revolving around an employee’s concern about an attempt to limit the use of family and medical leave by fellow workers.
Court records show Shelley Gray, who had worked at the Kansas City Reentry Center, attended a meeting in 2017 with her supervisor in which the warden of the facility (Lily Angelo) directed the two “to figure out how to stop employees from using Family and Medical Leave Act leave.” Gray believed it was an illegal directive, and after raising concerns about the warden’s order, she was placed on a performance improvement plan.
Gray then filed a lawsuit alleging discrimination, retaliation, and a hostile work environment. A lower court agreed and awarded her $300,000. The lower court also approved attorney’s fees worth more than $400,000, which the appeals court also upheld.
