Former longtime Los Angeles Times sports columnist T.J. Simers was awarded $7.1 million by a jury in his age and disability lawsuit against the newspaper.
Simers, 63, sued The Times, alleging that they discriminated against him after he suffered a mini-stroke in March 2013.
According to Law 360, the jury, which deliberated for two days after six weeks of hearing the trial, “awarded Simers $330,358 for past economic damages, $1.8 million for future economic damages, $2.5 million for past non-economic damages and $2.5 million for future non-economic damages.”
Simers alleged the newspaper of plotting to force him out of his job. He says they began to criticize his writing and style for the first time in over 20 years with the outlet. They reduced his workload from three columns a week to two, and they wanted him to take a demotion.
As part of their efforts to gradually demote Simers, The Times accused the writer of violating journalistic ethics through a video involving Dwight Howard.
The Times could try to appeal the jury’s decision.
