Jury finds Mississippi agency discriminated against female worker
JACKSON -- A female employee of the Mississippi Department of Public Safety was awarded more than $46,000 by a federal jury that found the agency discriminated against her because she is a woman.
Ola Kirk, a master sergeant in the department's Driver Services Division, filed a lawsuit in 2014 claiming she had been passed over for promotion to lieutenant because of her gender and age. Kirk still works for the state agency, where she has been employed since 1987.
The jury found that then-Public Safety Commissioner Albert Santa Cruz and Col. Donnell Berry violated Kirk's constitutional rights. Her lawsuit said Kirk had sought promotion unsuccessfully for 11 years. Santa Cruz retired as commissioner Tuesday. Berry retired a year ago.
Kirk's attorney, John M. Mooney Jr., said his client was humbled by the jury's verdict Wednesday.
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