A U.S. district judge just levied one of the largest attorney fee penalties in American history for an individual discrimination charge against … Norway?
You read that right, Norway.
Ellen Ewald worked in the country’s Minneapolis consulate, and sued the government of Norway, alleging pay discrimination.
Ewald claimed she was paid about $30,000 less than a male employee doing comparable work, and U.S. District Judge Susan Nelson just ruled the government’s actions did, indeed, violate both the federal Equal Pay Act and Minnesota’s Human Rights Act.
Nelson then ordered Norway to $270,000 to Ewald — $100,000 for emotional distress and $170,000 for lost wages times two, according to Minneapolis’ Star Tribune.
But that’s only a fraction of what the lawsuit will actually cost Norway, as Nelson also ordered the government to pay $2.1M in attorney fees to pay for the time Ewald’s lawyers put into the case.
Ewald’s lead attorney claimed her legal team put more than 6,000 hours into the case, which involved poring over roughly 90,000 pages of documentation, some of which had to be translated into English, according to the Star Tribune.
Another attorney on the case said this ranks among the largest court-ordered attorney fee awards in an individual discrimination case in U.S. history.
Norway can still appeal, but if it loses, the government will have to shell out another $200,000 in interest.
For more HR News, please visit: Pay discrimination on U.S. soil to cost Norway .1M in attorney fees alone
Source: News from HR Morning