Fort Lauderdale Team Obtains Defense Verdict for South Florida University

Fort Lauderdale, Fla. (April 3, 2019) - Fort Lauderdale Partners Kenneth J. Joyce and Stacy M. Schwartz recently obtained a defense verdict on behalf of Barry University in the Circuit Court for Miami-Dade County Florida. The university was sued by a former vice-president who alleged that he was discharged in 2013 because of his age. In 2014, the former employee brought suit under the Florida Civil Rights Act, alleging age discrimination and seeking in excess of a million dollars in back pay, lost wages, emotional distress damages, and punitive damages.

At trial, Barry University asserted that the vice-president’s discharge was based on a reduction in force which resulted in numerous discharges of other university administrative personnel. After seven days of testimony at trial, the jury deliberated for 30 minutes before determining that our client had not improperly discharged the plaintiff based on his age.

This defense verdict is the third successful judgment that Mr. Joyce and Ms. Schwartz have obtained on behalf of Barry University in connection with the defense of employment and contract disputes. They were assisted at trial by Fort Lauderdale Associate Nina C. Schmidt, Paralegal Billi Lupton, and other members of the firm’s Labor & Employment Practice.