Opinion ID: 777187
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Application of the Statutory Cap to Washington State Law Claims.

Text: 118 Tidyman's' second argument is that the district court abused its discretion by failing to apply the Title VII damages cap to the state damages awards. Tidyman's contends that even if the awards were controlled entirely by state law, the federal damages cap applies because Washington courts look to federal law when interpreting their anti-discrimination statutes. 119 Tidyman's does not challenge the district court's allocation of the non-economic damages to the state law claims. The special verdict form in this case did not differentiate plaintiffs' state and federal law claims. Any portion of the non-economic damages allocated to the federal Title VII claim would be subject to the $300,000 cap. In this case, Hemmings was awarded $230,000 in non-economic damages, an amount less than the federal cap. Tidyman's' argument thus potentially applies only to the $650,000 non-economic damages the jury awarded to Lamphiear, which the district court allocated to Lamphiear's state law claims. 120 Tidyman's argues that we should apply the federal damages cap to the state law discrimination claim because Washington state courts, in the absence of state authority, will consider federal law persuasive when construing sections of the Washington anti-discrimination law that parallel the federal law. Xieng v. Peoples Nat'l Bank, 120 Wash.2d 512, 844 P.2d 389, 399 (1993) (en banc); Goodman v. Boeing, 75 Wash.App. 60, 877 P.2d 703, 713 (1994). In Passantino, however, we rejected the defendant's argument that the Title VII cap should apply to the Washington Law Against Discrimination. 212 F.3d at 509-10. We noted that Title VII explicitly prohibits limiting state law remedies and that Title VII was not intended to force plaintiffs to choose among remedial statutes. Id. at 510. We do not find any evidence in the form of case law, statutory language, or legislative history indicating an intent by the Washington legislature to cap damage awards at $300,000. Accordingly, we conclude, consistent with our ruling in Passantino, that the Title VII damages cap does not apply to the Washington state law discrimination claims.