Man With MS Wins Damages Over Firing
A Santa Ana jury has awarded $483,800 in damages to a man with multiple sclerosis who said he was illegally fired and denied health benefits by an Orange County Cadillac dealership.
The jury on Tuesday found that Tustin-based McLean Motor Co. “maliciously, oppressively and fraudulently” discriminated against Kenneth W. Rowe, 44, of Tustin.
He also was awarded punitive damages, to be decided Jan. 10.
Rowe was a customer service representative at the dealership for more than 20 years. He sued in 1997, contending that the company suspended his health insurance while he was on medical leave and then fired him, claiming he had solicited gifts from customers.
Mike McLean, president of McLean Motor, said the company plans to appeal.
The jury found the company violated the California Fair Employment and Housing Act and the California Family Rights Act, which guarantees employees 12 weeks of unpaid medical leave.
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