A former Los Angeles-based UCLA Health physician, who won $13 million in February after a jury found she had been forced out of her position as a result of years of discrimination against her, received an additional $1.8 million in attorney's fees Aug. 3, according to Patch.com citing the City News Service.
Here are four things to know:
1. On Feb. 15, a jury found that 63-year-old Lauren Pinter-Brown, MD, an expert in T-cell lymphoma research, had been subjected to gender discrimination and retaliation while serving as the director of the lymphoma program at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA because the school's male administration did not acknowledge her complaints. The jury rejected her complaint citing age discrimination.
2. During the trial, Dr. Pinter-Brown said conditions at the medical school had become intolerable for her and that she was repeatedly berated for her clinical trial work by a subordinate physician, the report states. She testified that the school's medical committee also expressed concern about how her clinical trials were progressing. She said the committee suspended her research privileges in June 2012, but that they were reinstated in October 2013. Dr. Pinter-Brown said she departed the institution in January 2015 as a result of the alleged conflicts.
3. On Aug. 3, Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Michael Linfield said Dr. Pinter-Brown's $1.8 million in legal fees was a reasonable amount for the University of California to pay. Lawyers on behalf of the university argued the per-hour rate charged by Dr. Pinter-Brown's lead attorney was excessive.
4. Despite the awards, a lawyer for Dr. Pinter-Brown told the publication neither Dr. Pinter-Brown nor any of her lawyers have received payment since the verdict was issued because the university filed an appeal to the case.
To access the full report, click here.