Female pilot wins discrimination lawsuit

A Florida woman who was fired from her job as a pilot has been awarded more than $170,000 in a gender discrimination lawsuit against a Summit County charter jet company, court records show.

A U.S. District Court jury in Akron returned the verdict in favor of Carrie Braun, who was hired in April 2011 as the company’s only female pilot.

In an Aug. 28 judgment entry, Judge Sara Lioi affirmed the verdict on the grounds that Ultimate Jetcharters of Akron-Canton International Airport, was in violation of state law prohibiting retaliation based on gender discrimination and harassment.

Braun was awarded $70,250 in compensatory damages and $100,000 in punitive damages, court records show.

Her suit claimed that from October 2011 to March 2012, two male pilots continually made “discriminatory, defamatory and harassing comments” about her job performance and downtime conduct between flights.

One week after Braun formally complained to her supervisors, she was fired, according to the suit.

Several male pilots were treated more favorably during her employment and were not reprimanded for similar after-hours conduct, the suit said.

Sidney Freeman, the company’s attorney, said he is preparing a request for post-trial relief from the judgment before deciding whether to file an appeal.

“Ms. Braun filed a complaint alleging 11 different claims for recovery, only one of which was not dismissed by the court prior to trial,” Freeman said.

Further comment on a pending matter would be inappropriate, he said.

Source:  http://www.ohio.com