Alaska Employment Law

On October 16th, an Anchorage jury returned a verdict of [correction] almost $500,000 for a former Alaska Airlines employee who claimed that the carrier wrongfully terminated her after one of its employees falsely reported she intended to shoot fellow employees.   The jury awarded $180,000 in past damages and $300,000 in future damages, and allocated 85 % of the fault to Alaska Airlines and 15 % to the union.  It also awarded $5,000 in defamation damages against the co-employee and $5,000 against the carrier.  The jury refused to award punitive damages.

Anchorage Superior Court Judge Sen Tan presided.

Defense counsel declined to comment, pointing to post-trial issues yet to be addressed, other than to argue that the verdict was less than plaintiff’s last settlement demand.  [Addition:] Plaintiff’s counsel contends his client did not ask for more than the actual verdict.

Chang-Craft v. Cameron and Alaska Airlines, Inc., 3AN-05-1373 CI (Third Jud. Dist., Alaska)

Ken Legacki represented the plaintiff; Doug Parker of Littler Mendelson, and Dennis Efta of Kirkpatrick & Lockhart Preston Gates Ellis represented defendants. Legacki and Efta practice in Anchorage. Parker practices in Portland, OR and Anchorage.

Second Amended Complaint; Answer; Special Verdict