Black Hyundai Plant Worker Who Reported Hair Bias Gets $811,000

An Alabama-based staffing agency must pay $811,000 to a Black woman for retaliating against her after she complained she was facing racial discrimination, including over her hairstyle, while working a mailroom job at a Hyundai plant, a federal jury decided.

Dynamic Security Inc. took adverse employment action against Davita Key for that protected activity, the US District Court for the Middle District of Alabama jury said. It awarded Key $300,064 in compensatory damages and $511,200 in punitive damages following a three-day trial before Judge Emily C. Marks.

Hyundai Motor Manufacturing Alabama LLC and Hyundai Engineering America Inc. were dismissed from ...