Walmart ordered to pay $31M in whistleblower case
A federal jury in New Hampshire has ordered Walmart to pay $31 million in damages to a former employee in a high profile gender discrimination employment suit.
Maureen McPadden was employed as a pharmacist for a Walmart pharmacy in Seabrook, New Hampshire for 13 years before her termination in 2012. She claims she was fired under the pretext of losing a pharmacy key, but was terminated in retaliation for her having reported unsafe practices related to pharmacy technicians filling prescriptions improperly and being improperly trained.
Prior to her termination, the plaintiff presented her argument for the constant turnover of employees and inexperienced staff posing a public safety risk to the Walmart District Manager.
Later that month, McPadden reported to the District Manager that a pharmacy technician accessed and shared her private medical health information. The employee was assigned a new position in the store but not terminated.
McPadden also claimed she was the victim of gender discrimination because a male pharmacist at the store also lost a key, but was disciplined rather than fired for the error.
After a five week trial, the jury awarded over $31 million in damages. This award included $164,093 for back pay and $558,392 for front pay. (You can learn more about how front and back pay are calculated in employment termination cases here.) McPadden’s award also included $500,000 for compensatory damages, and $30 million for punitive damages for the state and federal discrimination claims.
