In the largest gender discrimination matter to go to verdict in the United States, a New York jury last week found the drug company Novartis liable for gender discrimination in pay, promotional opportunities, and pregnancy-related matters. The class included female sales representative who worked for the drug company between 2002 and 2007.
After delivering a unanimous verdict against the company on all counts, and awarding twelve (12) former female sales representatives $3.36 million, the jury determined that the company must pay an additional $250 million for gender discrimination it inflicted upon 5,600 females in the class. In separate proceedings, compensatory damages will also be decided for each member of the class that opts-in, including monetary damages for the pain and suffering caused by Novartis’ discriminatory acts, and back-pay to compensate for lost earnings.