A colleague in Oregon agrees with my post that settling discrimination cases requires a client (employer and employee) to deal in reality.  Joel Christiansen, who writes a nice blog on employment law, points out that emotional suffering can be supported by stories about missed mortgage payments.  It helps to discuss and consider these emotional topics.  But, as he cautions, Title VII does not provide direct reimbursement for mortgage payments.  So, do not draw a line in the sand for some particular dollar value.  See Joel’s blog post about settling employment cases.