Opinion ID: 23608
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Punitive Damages Under Title VII

Text: 18 Appellants argue that the Civil Rights Act of 1991 limits Sheriff Bryan's liability in his official capacity to compensatory damages. The Act allows plaintiffs asserting a Title VII claim to recover compensatory and punitive damages, provided that recovery is unavailable under 1981. See 42 U.S.C. 1981a(1). 8 The Act precludes plaintiffs from recovering punitive damages against governments, government agencies, and political subdivisions. See 42 U.S.C. 1981a(b); Baker v. Runyon, 114 F.3d 668, 669 (7th Cir. 1997), cert. denied, 119 S.Ct. 335 (1998). 19 Oden does not dispute the applicability of 1981a to the Sheriff in his official capacity. Oden contends that the appellants forfeited their argument on appeal because the objections to the district court's jury instructions were not specific. See Fed. R. Civ. P. 51. We agree that the appellants failed to properly preserve their objection. 20 If a litigant forfeits a point of error on appeal, we review the district court's decision under the plain error standard. See Douglass v. United Serv. Auto. Ass'n,79 F.3d 1415, 1427 (5th Cir. 1996) (en banc). For this Court to correct an error not raised at trial, there must be (1) 'error,' (2) that is 'plain,' and (3) that 'affect[s] substantial rights.' Johnson v. United States, 520 U.S. 461, 467 (1997) (quoting United States v. Olano, 507 U.S. 725, 732 (1993)). If plain error exists, this Court should not exercise its discretion to correct the error unless the error seriously affects the fairness, integrity or public reputation of judicial proceedings. Id. 21 The district court committed plain error by assessing punitive damages against the Sheriff. Section 1981a prohibits punitive damage awards against governments and political subdivisions. Subjecting the Sheriff to an $80,000 punitive damage award is inapposite to Congress's intent to preclude local government entities from paying such judgments. We find it appropriate even under a plain error standard to correct judgments that are contrary to the express limits federal law imposes on judicial authority, and therefore reverse the punitive damage award against Sheriff Bryan in his official capacity.