A woman received a federal jury award totaling $7.5 million against her former employer in a case in which she claimed in a lawsuit she was subjected to sexual discrimination and abuse. The jury determined that she was subjected to a hostile work environment and awarded her $2.5 million in compensatory damages and $5 million in punitive damages.
Barbara Russo worked at Tuttnauer USA for 26 years. The company, headquartered in Israel with operations in Hauppauge, makes sterilization and infection control supplies for laboratory, medical, veterinary, dental, and industrial uses. According to the lawsuit, Russo was subjected to a toxic work environment that allowed sexist and other inappropriate emails to be sent regularly and did nothing to stop this behavior. Russo was subjected to comments, abusive language, unwelcome touching, and sexual assault by a supervisor.
Witnesses on Russo’s behalf included a former vice president, former secretary of the company’s then-senior president, Robert Basile, employees who experienced and witnessed the wrongful treatment of Russo and other women, and her son and husband. The expert witness psychologist was Dr. Darlene Powell Garlington, who discussed the severe damage done to Russo, including confirming the diagnosis of post-traumatic stress disorder and major depressive disorder.
On January 22, with the trial presided by Hon. Joan Azrack in the U.S. Federal Courthouse in Central Islip, the jury found that Tuttnauer, USA, its then-CFO, Kevin Connors, and Basile participated in and helped create a hostile working environment.
Russo was represented by Fred Brewington of the Law Offices of Frederick K. Brewington in Hempstead.