United States Sixth Circuit

In a suit by female police officers against a municipality alleging employment retaliation resulting from an earlier lawsuit, grant of defendant's motion for judgment as a matter of law or a new trial is reversed where a reasonable jury could have concluded that the city did not reasonably rely on a psychiatric recommendation regarding the plaintiffs and was instead retaliating against the plaintiffs for their claim of discrimination against the city. Grant of defendant's motion for remittur is affirmed where damage awards exceeded the amount justified by the plaintiffs' evidence, and all other aspects of the court's ruling are affirmed over defendant's cross-appeal.

Appellate Information

• Decided 07/31/2007
• Published 07/31/2007

Judges

• Before: MERRITT and BATCHELDER, Circuit Judges;  GWIN, District Judge.

Court

• United States Sixth Circuit

Counsel

• For Appellees:
  
• ARGUED:  Stuart N. Dowty, Pitt, McGehee, Mirer, Palmer & Rivers, Royal Oak, Michigan, Christine A. Yared, Law Office, Grand Rapids, Michigan, for Appellants.  G. Douglas Walton, Nantz, Litowich, Smith & Girard, Grand Rapids, Michigan, for Appellee.   ON BRIEF:  Michael L. Pitt, Pitt, McGehee, Mirer, Palmer & Rivers, Royal Oak, Michigan, Christine A. Yared, Law Office, Grand Rapids, Michigan, for Appellants.  G. Douglas Walton, Nantz, Litowich, Smith & Girard, Grand Rapids, Michigan, Marcelyn A. Stepanski, Johnson, Rosati, LaBarge, Aseltyne & Field, Farmington Hills, Michigan, for Appellee.