Closing argument draws fire in discrimination case

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Abstract: When a Puerto Rican woman with a Dominican supervisor found that her services contract was not renewed, she filed suit, claiming that she’d been discriminated against on the basis of gender and national origin. Her attorney appealed to the jury’s Puerto Rican composition, urging them to “send a message” to Dominicans and remarking that Dominicans working in Puerto Rico were there only to take the Puerto Ricans’ money. The jury awarded the plaintiff $1.25 million. This article discusses how the appeals court decided the defendant’s appeal and addressed the attorney’s remarks. Alvarado - Santos v. Department of Health of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, Nos. 8 - 2027, 08 - 2028, September 8, 2010 (1st Cir.)