Court Opinion

ID: 9483667
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-05 09:28:14.60925+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T17:49:46.189713
License: Public Domain

BEAM, Circuit Judge,
concurring and dissenting.
I agree with the dissent that the evidence of student and parent complaints was not hearsay and that the offer of proof was more than sufficient to apprise the district judge of the nature of the facts being proffered. I agree with the majority, however, that under Strong v. Mercantile Trust Co., 816 F.2d 429 (8th Cir.1987), cert. denied, 484 U.S. 1030, 108 S.Ct. 759, 98 L.Ed.2d 771 (1988), the substantive value of the excluded evidence was not sufficient for us to reverse and remand this case for a new trial. Thus, I concur in the result reached in the majority opinion on that issue.
I partially join the dissent on the issue of liquidated damages. There was clearly insufficient evidence of willfulness for a judgment for liquidated damages to have been imposed. Thus, I would hold that the district judge erred in awarding any liquidated damages. Having adopted this position, I would not reach the question dealing with discretion to award less than double damages under the liquidated damages scheme advanced by the ADEA.