A Benton County, Wash., Superior Court jury found in favor of a former employee’s lawsuit against Mission Support Alliance on Tuesday, requiring the Hanford Site support services contractor to pay damages of $8.1 million.
Manager Julie Atwood had resigned when she was told she would be fired from MSA in 2013. She filed a lawsuit claiming retaliation and discrimination by the company and MSA Vice President Steve Young.
The damages encompass $2.1 million for back and future pay for Atwood and $6 million for emotional harm. Her attorney said the firing had triggered a mental illness, with symptoms similar to post-traumatic stress disorder.
Atwood was accused in a 2013 anonymous complaint in of time-card fraud, creating a hostile work environment, and abusing her relationship with an influential DOE employee. During the investigation of the complaint, she said officials should be looking instead at Young – the mayor of Kennewick, a city near Hanford, who Atwood said did city business during hours he was being paid at Hanford by the federal government. Atwood’s attorney, Jack Sheridan of Seattle, said Hanford officials were told of her comments and three days later called her into a meeting to fire her. MSA wanted her gone to protect Young, Sheridan said.
Denise Ashbaugh, a Seattle attorney representing MSA and Young, said records showed that when Young did city business during the workday, he made up the time later and was putting in more than 40 hours a week for the company. The defense attorney said Atwood had built a close relationship with a DOE official and used that as protection when she did not follow rules. She said Atwood would come to work late and not give appropriate notice when she was on sick leave or vacation, allegations Atwood’s attorney denied.
The jury verdict found that MSA discriminated and retaliated against Atwood and that Young aided and abetted this behavior. Under the verdict, MSA, rather than Young, is responsible for damages. The company had no comment Tuesday and Young could not be reached for comment.
