--- title: "Nashville Jury Awards Elderly Woman Firefighter $225,000 in Employment Discrimination and Retaliation Lawsuit" meta: "og:description": "Jury awarded a $225,000 verdict against the Nashville Fire Department to woman who was discriminated against on the basis of her sex and age." "og:title": "Nashville Jury Awards Elderly Woman Firefighter $225,000 in Employment Discrimination and Retaliation Lawsuit" description: "Jury awarded a $225,000 verdict against the Nashville Fire Department to woman who was discriminated against on the basis of her sex and age." --- July 23, 2024 # **Nashville Jury Awards Elderly Woman Firefighter $225,000 in Employment Discrimination and Retaliation Lawsuit** Jury awarded a $225,000 verdict against the Nashville Fire Department to woman who was discriminated against on the basis of her sex and age. [**Employment Discrimination**](https://exlitem.com/jury-verdict/nashville-jury-awards-elderly-woman-firefighter-225000-in-employment-discrimination-and-retaliation-lawsuit/jury-verdict/category/employment-discrimination-labor-and-employment-law) [**Labor and Employment Law**](https://exlitem.com/jury-verdict/nashville-jury-awards-elderly-woman-firefighter-225000-in-employment-discrimination-and-retaliation-lawsuit/jury-verdict/category/labor-and-employment-law) [**Constitutional and Civil Rights**](https://exlitem.com/jury-verdict/nashville-jury-awards-elderly-woman-firefighter-225000-in-employment-discrimination-and-retaliation-lawsuit/jury-verdict/category/constitutional-and-civil-rights) [**Discrimination**](https://exlitem.com/jury-verdict/nashville-jury-awards-elderly-woman-firefighter-225000-in-employment-discrimination-and-retaliation-lawsuit/jury-verdict/category/discrimination) [**civil rights**](https://exlitem.com/jury-verdict/nashville-jury-awards-elderly-woman-firefighter-225000-in-employment-discrimination-and-retaliation-lawsuit/jury-verdict/category/civil-rights) ### **Outline** Author ![](https://exlitem.com/jury-verdict/nashville-jury-awards-elderly-woman-firefighter-225000-in-employment-discrimination-and-retaliation-lawsuit/_ipx/q_80/user-default.svg) **Nishica Srivastava** ![Article Image](https://media.jurimatic.com/cdn-cgi/image/q=70/images/default_1.webp) ## Lawrence V. Metropolitan Government Of Nashville & Davidson County On May 10, 2024, the Nashville jury returned a $225,000 verdict in favor of sixty-six-year-old Maggie Lawrence against the Nashville Fire Department for [employment discrimination](https://jurimatic.com/category/labor-and-employment-law/employment-discrimination-labor-and-employment-law/) and retaliation. ### Case Background On September 02, 2022, Maggie Lawrence filed a sex and age discrimination and retaliation lawsuit against the Nashville Fire Department before the [United States District Court for the Middle District of Tennessee, Nashville Division](https://www.tnmd.uscourts.gov/). This case was assigned to Chief Judge William L. Campbell, Jr and referred to Magistrate Judge Barbara D. Holmes. [Case number: 3:22cv680] #### Cause Maggie Lawrence, a dedicated sixty-four-year-old African American woman, devoted more than three decades to the Nashville Fire Department, where her exceptional performance earned her the respect of colleagues and superiors alike. Initially groomed by her former boss, Al Thomas, to succeed him, Lawrence's path to leadership was abruptly altered when departmental dynamics clashed with her aspirations. Despite Thomas's endorsement, the department's Chief intervened, opting to maintain the existing hierarchy of what some dubbed the "good ole boys club." In a controversial move, a younger, less experienced male colleague from another department was reassigned to the coveted Fire Marshal's Office, with Lawrence and Thomas directed to train him for the role. Thomas's vocal advocacy for Lawrence's qualifications resulted in his termination, signaling a clear stance against dissent. Lawrence's impeccable record—a testament to her multiple degrees, certifications, and consistently glowing reviews—did not shield her from discriminatory practices rooted in age and gender biases. Chief Swann openly cited concerns about her age, expressing a preference for a younger successor capable of longer tenure. As tensions escalated, Lawrence voiced her objections, triggering a series of retaliatory measures. These included an unjust Performance Improvement Plan, unwarranted disciplinary actions such as suspension, and mandatory drug testing—measures never previously applied during her extensive tenure. Her attempts to seek redress through discrimination charges were met with further hostility, exacerbating her isolation within the workplace. Undeterred, Lawrence pursued legal recourse, culminating in the EEOC granting her the right to sue in June 2022. #### Damages The Plaintiff requested the Court to declare the Defendant's actions to be violative of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967, She also requested the Court to enjoin the Defendant from continuing such discriminatory conduct and prevent any retaliation. The Plaintiff sought compensatory and punitive damages for the harm caused by the Defendant's actions. ### Key Arguments and Proceedings #### Legal Representation - **Plaintiff(s):**Maggie Lawrence - **Counsel for Plaintiff(s):**Robert Charles Bigelow - **Defendant(s):**Metropolitan Government of Nashville & Davidson County acting by and through The Nashville Fire Department - **Counsel for Defendant(s):**Benjamin Andrew Puckett | J. Brooks Fox #### Claims Plaintiff claimed that Defendant infringed upon Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 by discriminating against Plaintiff based on her sex, specifically in the failure to promote her to the position of Fire Marshal. Additionally, the Defendant violated the Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967 by discriminating against the Plaintiff based on her age in the same context. Moreover, the Defendant breached both Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967 by retaliating against the Plaintiff for participating in protected activities. #### Defense The Defendant disputed any liability and contested that claim that the Plaintiff suffered damages. Nonetheless, if Plaintiff were awarded damages, they argued that any recovery should be reduced to account for the Plaintiff's failure to mitigate her damages reasonably. ### Jury Verdict On May 10, 2024, the Nashville jury returned a verdict in favor of the Plaintiff. The jury found that Defendants had discriminated against Ms. Lawrence in violation of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967. However, the jury also found that Defendants did not retaliate against Ms. Lawrence in violation of any governing law. The jury awarded $225,000 as compensatory damages to Ms. Lawrence for gender discrimination by the Defendants. On May 20, 2024, Judge William L. Campbell, Jr. entered a judgment consistent with the jury verdict. #### Court Documents: Available upon request [Share with Facebook](https://www.facebook.com/sharer/sharer.php?u=https://exlitem.com/jury-verdict/nashville-jury-awards-elderly-woman-firefighter-225000-in-employment-discrimination-and-retaliation-lawsuit) [Share with X](https://x.com/intent/post?url=https://exlitem.com/jury-verdict/nashville-jury-awards-elderly-woman-firefighter-225000-in-employment-discrimination-and-retaliation-lawsuit&text=x) [Share with LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/sharing/share-offsite/?url=https://exlitem.com/jury-verdict/nashville-jury-awards-elderly-woman-firefighter-225000-in-employment-discrimination-and-retaliation-lawsuit) [Share with Email](https://exlitem.com/jury-verdict/nashville-jury-awards-elderly-woman-firefighter-225000-in-employment-discrimination-and-retaliation-lawsuit/mailto:?body=https://exlitem.com/jury-verdict/nashville-jury-awards-elderly-woman-firefighter-225000-in-employment-discrimination-and-retaliation-lawsuit&subject=email) [Share with WhatsApp](https://api.whatsapp.com/send?text=https://exlitem.com/jury-verdict/nashville-jury-awards-elderly-woman-firefighter-225000-in-employment-discrimination-and-retaliation-lawsuit%20whatsapp) ### **Find your next Expert Witness today** ![Sanjay Adhia](https://exlitem.com/jury-verdict/nashville-jury-awards-elderly-woman-firefighter-225000-in-employment-discrimination-and-retaliation-lawsuit/_ipx/q_80/user-default.svg) ###### **Sanjay Adhia** Forensic Psychiastry ![George Reis](https://exlitem.com/jury-verdict/nashville-jury-awards-elderly-woman-firefighter-225000-in-employment-discrimination-and-retaliation-lawsuit/_ipx/q_80/user-default.svg) ###### **George Reis** Forensic Imaging ![Maria Babinetz](https://exlitem.com/jury-verdict/nashville-jury-awards-elderly-woman-firefighter-225000-in-employment-discrimination-and-retaliation-lawsuit/_ipx/q_80/user-default.svg) ###### **Maria Babinetz** Vocational Rehabilitation Find and retain experts without brokerage or upcharge. ### Looking for more? Join our subscriber community and receive regular updates delivered straight to your inbox. It’s quick, easy, and free.