Opinion ID: 161263
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Harm Suffered by Mr. Barber

Text: 12 Williamson argues next that an award of nominal damages demonstrates that Mr. Barber suffered no harm and, if Mr. Barber suffered no harm, then he failed to prove a hostile work environment. See Aplt's Br. at 18 (contending that, [a]s a matter of law, . . . an award of nominal damages is inconsistent with the definition of actionable harassment.). To state it simply, instead of arguing that nominal damages cannot be awarded under Title VII, Williamson is asserting that there can be no Title VII violation if nominal damages are awarded. We review this legal question de novo. See O'Neal v. Ferguson Constr. Co., 237 F.3d 1248, 1257 (10th Cir. 2001). 13 Once again, we find Williamson's argument to be without merit. First, nominal damages do not signify a total absence of harm. See Black's Law Dictionary 396 (7th ed. 1999) (defining nominal damages as [a] trifling sum awarded when a legal injury is suffered but when there is no substantial loss or injury to be compensated); see also Griffith, 17 F.3d at 1327 (noting that nominal damages signify[] that the plaintiff's rights were technically invaded even though he could not prove any loss or damage). Second, given the verdict form, the jury did find injury to Mr. Barber, answering yes to the following question: Do you find, from the viewpoint of a reasonable person, that the alleged actions toward Lenard Barber while he was employed by T.D. Williamson[,] Inc., were so severe and pervasive as to create a hostile or abusive work environment based upon his race? Aplt's App. at 40 (verdict form, filed Sept. 23, 1999); see also id. at 41 (jury awarding Mr. Barber one dollar in nominal damages because it found that the law was violated but that Plaintiff suffered no damages). To summarize, we conclude that nominal damages are appropriate under Title VII and that, in the instant case, Mr. Barber was entitled to an award of nominal damages based on the jury's finding that he was subjected to a hostile or abusive work environment.