Peabody & Arnold Prevails for Hospital in Employment Case

In a jury trial that lasted eight days in Middlesex Superior Court before Judge Bruce Henry, Elizabeth Houlding and Kiley Belliveau obtained a defense verdict on behalf of the firm’s client, a major medical center in the greater Boston area. The case involved national origin discrimination, retaliation, and hostile work environment claims brought by a former Emergency Department employee who was terminated for violating the hospital’s privacy policy while on final written warning. The plaintiff claimed that the hospital terminated her employment because she had filed an administrative claim alleging that her final written warning was discriminatory. Credible testimony from experienced Emergency Department managers and nurses supported the hospital’s legitimate, non-discriminatory, and non-retaliatory reasons for the issuance of the final written warning and for her termination. During closing argument, the plaintiff asked the jury to award her damages in excess of $3.5 million. After deliberation, the jury rejected the plaintiff’s claims and returned a verdict for the defense on all counts.