Appeals Court Overturns $366 Mln FedEx Race Bias Verdict

A federal appeals court on Thursday threw out a $366.2 million verdict against FedEx (FDX.N), opens new tab, in a case brought by a Black sales manager who said the package delivery company fired her in retaliation for accusing her supervisor of race discrimination.

The 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals said the plaintiff, Jennifer Harris, was entitled to none of the $365 million of punitive damages that a Houston jury awarded her in October 2022.

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The award against Memphis, Tennessee-based FedEx had been among the largest in a U.S. workplace bias or retaliation case involving a single worker.

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She said her firing stemmed from her complaints about her supervisor, a white woman, who had given her a poor performance review and who Harris alleged had tried to demote her.

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Circuit Judge Cory Wilson said the evidence suggested that the supervisor believed Harris should be disciplined for insubordination, not in retaliation for her complaints.

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