U.S.D.C., Northern District of Mississippi, Eastern Division
Cause No. 1:10-cv-00205-SA-DAS
On March 21, 2012, a jury in United States District Court in Aberdeen, Mississippi, returned a verdict in favor of Toni Dauzat Taylor against Collums Furniture Mfg., Inc. and Troy McAlister. The jury awarded Mrs. Taylor $25,000.00 for her sexual harassment claim, $50,000.00 for her assault and battery claim, and $25,000.00 in punitive damages. Mrs. Taylor had been employed at Collums Furniture Mfg., Inc. as a factory worker on the cutting table. Mrs. Taylor claimed that during her employment, Troy McAlister, a supervisor in the factory at Collums Furniture Mfg., Inc. had sexually harassed her. Mrs. Taylor testified about how Defendant McAlister touched her breasts, touched her rear, offered to give her money and/or drugs in exchange for sex, and bit her on the shoulder. Shortly after she reported the harassment, Mrs. Taylor was laid off from Collums Furniture Mfg., Inc. Collums Furniture Mfg., Inc. contended her lay-off was due to a slow down in the company’s business. Several days later, Collums Furniture Mfg., Inc. called Mrs. Taylor to return to work, but because of the abusive work environment, she could not return. Attorneys for Plaintiff were Jim Waide and Rachel M. Pierce of Waide & Associates, P.A. in Tupelo, Mississippi. Attorneys for Defendants were John P. Fox and Tina M. Scott of Fox Law Firm in Houston, Mississippi.
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