Missouri Court of Appeals, Eastern District / Sep 26, 2023
Samantha Kelley, Respondent, vs. State of Missouri, Department of Corrections, Appellant.
Samantha Kelley sued the Missouri Department of Corrections for sexual harassment under the MHRA, alleging a hostile work environment and the Department's failure to take remedial action. A jury awarded Kelley actual and punitive damages, and the trial court added attorneys' fees with a 1.5 multiplier. The Department appealed, challenging the submissibility of the case, the punitive damages award, and the fee multiplier. The appellate court affirmed the judgment in its entirety, finding no error in the trial court's rulings, and remanded the case for a determination of appellate attorneys' fees.