San Antonio Jury Awards $263,000
A San Antonio man was awarded $263,000 in a religious discrimination lawsuit. Steven Hecht worked three years at Million Air San Antonio, a small plane servicing firm. Million Air would mix religion and business routinely. The owner, Mark Fessler, told Mr. Hecht to fire two employees because the Lord told Mr. Fessler they should be fired. Mr. Hecht was required to attend lunch meetings that mixed religion and business. A "prophet" came to work and said Mr. Hecht was unclean, unrighteous and struggling with pornography issues.
The prophecies were ok with the two owners, Mark and Richard Fessler, so long as Mr. Hecht attended their church. But, when he stopped attending, he was fired.
The defense attorney pointed out that the employee had accepted another weekend job when he was fired. He was apparently suggesting Mr. Hecht was planning to leave Million Air. I am not sure what that argument is supposed to indicate. In any event, the Bexar County jury did not buy that argument. The jury awarded lost pay and compensatory (emotional suffering) damages. The plaintiff had been making in excess of $100,000. They also awarded punitive damages of $150,000.
