FedEx gains ground in California discrimination case

FedEx gains ground in California discrimination case    A California judge earlier this month reduced a jury award to $12.4 million from $60 million for two FedEx Ground drivers who alleged they were discriminated against because of their Lebanese background, FedEx confirmed in a quarterly report to securities regulators.
   The two independent drivers, Edgar Rizkallah and Kamil Issa, claimed that a manager harassed and discriminated against them. The jury determined the manager didn’t protect them from ethnic slurs on the job.
   FedEx said it will appeal the decision if the plaintiffs do not consent to reduce the $10 million portion of the award for damages by Oct. 5.
   Judge Stephen Dombrink said the original award was “excessive” and did not meet the test for an employment discrimination case because the harassment was mostly name calling, according to a story in the legal publication The Recorder.
   He also pared the judgment against manager Stacy Shoun from $1 million to $400,000.
   FedEx said it doesn’t expect any material loss in the case based on recent developments.