An Illinois federal judge Thursday rescinded a $100,000 compensatory damages award in favor of a former U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs employee after determining his trial testimony did not include direct evidence of emotional distress or detail how his termination impacted his emotional state.
U.S. District Judge Rebecca R. Pallmeyer of the Northern District of Illinois granted the department’s motion for a judgment after a jury awarded Michael Leonard $100,000 in compensatory damages for emotional distress. Leonard, who worked as a police officer for nearly 25 years, claimed a retaliatory motive “played a part” in his 2013 termination, but he was unable to testify at trial in January due to medical reasons. The government argued that Leonard had not presented evidence to support such an award.