Opinion ID: 627950
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: Finding of Wilfulness

Text: 20 UTC also contends that there was insufficient evidence from which the jury could have inferred that UTC's violation of the ADEA was wilful. A prevailing ADEA plaintiff is entitled to liquidated damages only in cases of [wilful] violations. 29 U.S.C. Sec. 626(b). 4 The United States Supreme Court has ruled that a violation of the ADEA is wilful if the employer either knew or showed reckless disregard for the matter of whether its conduct was prohibited by the ADEA. Thurston, 469 U.S. at 128 (internal quotation marks omitted); accord Hazen Paper Co. v. Biggins, --- U.S. ----, 113 S.Ct. 1701, 123 L.Ed.2d 338 (1993); Anderson, 861 F.2d at 635; Archambault v. United Computing Systems, Inc., 786 F.2d 1507, 1513 (11th Cir.1986); see also 29 U.S.C. Sec. 626(b). The jury instructions were consistent with this definition, and nothing in the record suggests that the charge was disregarded. 21 The record reveals evidence which suggests that in demoting Mr. Neyman, UTC showed reckless disregard for the provisions of the ADEA. Chief among this evidence is the testimony of Ms. Wade regarding her conversation with Ms. Krepps in October of 1987. Ms. Wade admitted that both supervisors had knowledge of Mr. Neyman's EEOC filing, and that Ms. Krepps had indicated that she was going to take negative action. Ms. Krepps later testified that she based her negative evaluation on appraisals that she received in the field four months later. This inconsistency indicated that UTC's actions were done voluntarily, deliberately and intentionally and not by accident, inadvertence or ordinary negligence. (Jury Inst. # 15). 22 After reviewing the record in the light most favorable to UTC, we conclude that there was evidence from which fair-minded jurors, exercising impartial judgment, could reasonably conclude that UTC engaged in a pretextual scheme to demote Mr. Neyman, and that his supervisors at UTC knew that this scheme was unlawful, or showed reckless disregard for whether these actions were prohibited by the ADEA. See Hurd, 734 F.2d at 499 (a reviewing court must affirm if evidence was before the jury upon which it could properly find against the movant). Therefore, the district court's denial of UTC's motion for judgment notwithstanding the verdict, or new trial with respect to the jury's finding of wilfulness is affirmed.