Case Law Gilster v. Primebank

Gilster v. Primebank

Document Cited Authorities (150) Cited in (29) Related

884 F.Supp.2d 811

Mindy GILSTER, Plaintiff,

v.PRIMEBANK, Primebank, Inc., and Joseph Strub, Defendants.

No. C 10–4084–MWB.

United States District Court,

N.D. Iowa,

Western Division.

Aug. 14, 2012.

OPINION TEXT STARTS HERE

Brooke Catherine Timmer, Whitney C. Judkins, Fiedler & Timmer, P.L.L.C., Urbandale, IA, for Plaintiff.

Douglas L. Phillips, Klass Law Firm, L.L.P., Sioux City, IA, for Defendants.

MEMORANDUM OPINION AND ORDER REGARDING POST–TRIAL MOTIONS

MARK W. BENNETT, District Judge.

+-----------------+
¦TABLE OF CONTENTS¦
+-----------------¦
¦                 ¦
+-----------------+

+----------------------------------------------------------------------------+
¦I.    ¦INTRODUCTION                                                 ¦829    ¦
+------+-------------------------------------------------------------+-------¦
¦      ¦                                                             ¦       ¦
+------+-------------------------------------------------------------+-------¦
¦II.   ¦BACKGROUND                                                   ¦829    ¦
+------+-------------------------------------------------------------+-------¦
¦      ¦                                                             ¦       ¦
+------+-------------------------------------------------------------+-------¦
¦III.  ¦ANALYSIS                                                     ¦831    ¦
+----------------------------------------------------------------------------+

+-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
¦   ¦A.  ¦A. Defendants' Motion For Judgment As A Matter of Law, New Trial, Or Remittitur  ¦831   ¦
¦   ¦    ¦                                                                                 ¦      ¦
+-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+

+----------------------------------------------------------------------------+
¦    ¦    ¦1.  ¦Judgment as a Matter of Law on Liability Issues       ¦831   ¦
+----------------------------------------------------------------------------+

+----------------------------------------------------------------------------+
¦    ¦    ¦   ¦a.  ¦Sufficiency of the Evidence—Sexual Harassment   ¦832   ¦
+----+----+---+----+--------------------------------------------------+------¦
¦    ¦    ¦   ¦b.  ¦Sufficiency of the Evidence—Retaliation         ¦836   ¦
+----------------------------------------------------------------------------+

+-----------------------------------------------------------------------------+
¦    ¦    ¦2.  ¦Judgment as a Matter of Law and Remittitur on Damages  ¦840   ¦
+-----------------------------------------------------------------------------+

+----------------------------------------------------------------------------+
¦    ¦    ¦   ¦a.  ¦Punitive Damages                                  ¦840   ¦
+----+----+---+----+--------------------------------------------------+------¦
¦    ¦    ¦   ¦b.  ¦Emotional Distress Damages                        ¦842   ¦
+----+----+---+----+--------------------------------------------------+------¦
¦    ¦    ¦   ¦c.  ¦Back Pay and Medical Expenses                     ¦846   ¦
+----------------------------------------------------------------------------+

+----------------------------------------------------------------------------+
¦    ¦    ¦3.  ¦New Trial                                             ¦847   ¦
+----------------------------------------------------------------------------+

+----------------------------------------------------------------------------+
¦    ¦B.  ¦Gilster's Motion For Equitable Relief And Front Pay       ¦854    ¦
+----------------------------------------------------------------------------+

+----------------------------------------------------------------------------+
¦    ¦    ¦1.  ¦Front Pay                                             ¦854   ¦
+----------------------------------------------------------------------------+

+----------------------------------------------------------------------------+
¦    ¦    ¦   ¦a.  ¦Factors in Determining Front Pay                  ¦855   ¦
+----+----+---+----+--------------------------------------------------+------¦
¦    ¦    ¦   ¦b.  ¦Calculation of Front Pay                          ¦859   ¦
+----------------------------------------------------------------------------+

+----------------------------------------------------------------------------+
¦    ¦    ¦2.  ¦Injunction Against Primebank                          ¦863   ¦
+----+----+----+------------------------------------------------------+------¦
¦    ¦    ¦3.  ¦Additional Equitable Relief—Letter of Reference     ¦867   ¦
+----------------------------------------------------------------------------+

+----------------------------------------------------------------------------+
¦    ¦C.  ¦Gilster's Motion for Attorney Fees and Costs              ¦868    ¦
+----------------------------------------------------------------------------+

+----------------------------------------------------------------------------+
¦    ¦    ¦1.  ¦Applicable Standards                                  ¦869   ¦
+----+----+----+------------------------------------------------------+------¦
¦    ¦    ¦2.  ¦Reasonable Hourly Rates                               ¦870   ¦
+----+----+----+------------------------------------------------------+------¦
¦    ¦    ¦3.  ¦Reasonable Hours Worked                               ¦872   ¦
+----------------------------------------------------------------------------+

+----------------------------------------------------------------------------+
¦    ¦    ¦   ¦a.  ¦Reduction for Block-billing                       ¦873   ¦
+----+----+---+----+--------------------------------------------------+------¦
¦    ¦    ¦   ¦b.  ¦Reduction for Lack of Specificity                 ¦874   ¦
+----+----+---+----+--------------------------------------------------+------¦
¦    ¦    ¦   ¦c.  ¦Reduction for Failure to Follow Local Rule        ¦875   ¦
+----+----+---+----+--------------------------------------------------+------¦
¦    ¦    ¦   ¦d.  ¦Reduction for Overstaffing                        ¦875   ¦
+----+----+---+----+--------------------------------------------------+------¦
¦    ¦    ¦   ¦e.  ¦Problems with Billing Judgment and Format         ¦877   ¦
+----------------------------------------------------------------------------+

+----------------------------------------------------------------------------+
¦    ¦    ¦4.  ¦Calculation of Fees                                   ¦878   ¦
+----+----+----+------------------------------------------------------+------¦
¦    ¦    ¦5.  ¦Award of Costs                                        ¦879   ¦
+----------------------------------------------------------------------------+

+----------------------------------------------------------------------------+
¦    ¦D.  ¦Interest                                                  ¦884    ¦
+----------------------------------------------------------------------------+

+----------------------------------------------------------------------------+
¦    ¦    ¦1.  ¦Pre–judgment Interest                               ¦884   ¦
+----+----+----+------------------------------------------------------+------¦
¦    ¦    ¦2.  ¦Post–judgment Interest                              ¦885   ¦
+----------------------------------------------------------------------------+

+----------------------------------------------------------------------------+
¦     ¦                                                              ¦       ¦
+-----+--------------------------------------------------------------+-------¦
¦IV.  ¦CONCLUSION                                                    ¦885    ¦
+----------------------------------------------------------------------------+

+----------------------------------------------------------------------------+
¦    ¦A.  ¦Orders Regarding Post–Trial Motions                     ¦885    ¦
+----+----+----------------------------------------------------------+-------¦
¦    ¦B.  ¦Summary of Damages                                        ¦885    ¦
+----+----+----------------------------------------------------------+-------¦
¦    ¦C.  ¦Order for Judgment                                        ¦886    ¦
+----------------------------------------------------------------------------+
I. INTRODUCTION

Plaintiff Mindy Gilster testified at trial, “I wanted to be left alone, and I wanted to do my work....” Gilster expected, as an employee with defendant Primebank, only the simplest guarantee of workplace equality promised by Title VII and the Iowa Civil Rights Act. “Men and women have every right to be left alone without sexual abuse in the workplace.” Eich v. Bd. of Regents for Cent. Mo. State Univ., 350 F.3d 752, 762 (8th Cir.2003). Likewise, men and women have every right to be left alone after they report sexual harassment. A jury found that defendants Joseph Strub and Primebank violated these basic tenets of our civil rights laws when Joseph Strub sexually harassed Mindy Gilster and, later, when Strub and Primebank retaliated against Gilster for reporting the sexual harassment and retaliation she experienced. The jury awarded a total of $900,301.22 in damages.

Before me now are the parties' post-trial motions.

II. BACKGROUND

This sexual harassment and retaliation case arose from plaintiff Mindy Gilster's employment with Primebank at its Sioux City, Iowa, branch, where she worked as a credit administrator from December 3, 2007, until her termination on February 10, 2011. Gilster brought claims of sexual harassment and retaliation, under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, 42 U.S.C. § 2000e et seq., and the Iowa Civil Rights Act (ICRA), Iowa Code § 216.1 et seq., against Primebank, Primebank, Inc.,1and Joseph Strub, Primebank's Sioux City market president and Gilster's supervisor, alleging that Joseph Strub sexually harassed her and that Strub...

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5 cases
Document | U.S. District Court — Southern District of New York – 2013
Kassman v. KPMG LLP
"...547–48 (9th Cir.2006); Chen–Oster, 2012 WL 205875, at *5–6,overruled in relevant part by877 F.Supp.2d at 121–22;Gilster v. Primebank, 884 F.Supp.2d 811, 864–866 (N.D.Iowa 2012); Levin v. Madigan, 697 F.Supp.2d 958, 975 (N.D.Ill.2010); see also True v. Neb., 612 F.3d 676, 679 (8th Cir.2010) ..."
Document | Iowa Supreme Court – 2017
Haskenhoff v. Homeland Energy Solutions, LLC
"...the adverse employment decision.' " (alteration in original) (quoting City of Hampton , 554 N.W.2d at 535 )); Gilster v. Primebank , 884 F.Supp.2d 811, 831 n.4 (N.D. Iowa 2012) (analyzing both Title VII and ICRA together using determinative-factor approach), overruled on other grounds , 747..."
Document | U.S. District Court — District of Nebraska – 2013
Morales v. Farmland Foods, Inc.
"...circuits is to permit awards to reimburse counsel for the reasonable costs of online legal research."); see Gilster v. Primebank, 884 F. Supp. 2d 811, 880 (N.D. Iowa 2012) (finding that computerized legal research fees are traditionally billed to clients and, thus, if reasonable and adequat..."
Document | U.S. District Court — Northern District of Iowa – 2014
Hagen v. Siouxland Obstetrics & Gynecology, P.C.
"...the date of the commencement of the action,” consistent with the plain language in Iowa Code § 668.13(1). See Gilster v. Primebank, 884 F.Supp.2d 811, 884 (N.D.Iowa 2012) (awarding pre-judgment interest under Iowa law on a plaintiff's entire back pay award accruing from the date the plainti..."
Document | U.S. District Court — Northern District of Iowa – 2014
Hagen v. Siouxland Obstetrics & Gynecology, P.C.
"...the date of the commencement of the action,” consistent with the plain language in Iowa Code § 668.13(1). See Gilster v. Primebank, 884 F.Supp.2d 811, 884 (N.D.Iowa 2012) (awarding pre-judgment interest under Iowa law on a plaintiff's entire back pay award accruing from the date the plainti..."

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5 cases
Document | U.S. District Court — Southern District of New York – 2013
Kassman v. KPMG LLP
"...547–48 (9th Cir.2006); Chen–Oster, 2012 WL 205875, at *5–6,overruled in relevant part by877 F.Supp.2d at 121–22;Gilster v. Primebank, 884 F.Supp.2d 811, 864–866 (N.D.Iowa 2012); Levin v. Madigan, 697 F.Supp.2d 958, 975 (N.D.Ill.2010); see also True v. Neb., 612 F.3d 676, 679 (8th Cir.2010) ..."
Document | Iowa Supreme Court – 2017
Haskenhoff v. Homeland Energy Solutions, LLC
"...the adverse employment decision.' " (alteration in original) (quoting City of Hampton , 554 N.W.2d at 535 )); Gilster v. Primebank , 884 F.Supp.2d 811, 831 n.4 (N.D. Iowa 2012) (analyzing both Title VII and ICRA together using determinative-factor approach), overruled on other grounds , 747..."
Document | U.S. District Court — District of Nebraska – 2013
Morales v. Farmland Foods, Inc.
"...circuits is to permit awards to reimburse counsel for the reasonable costs of online legal research."); see Gilster v. Primebank, 884 F. Supp. 2d 811, 880 (N.D. Iowa 2012) (finding that computerized legal research fees are traditionally billed to clients and, thus, if reasonable and adequat..."
Document | U.S. District Court — Northern District of Iowa – 2014
Hagen v. Siouxland Obstetrics & Gynecology, P.C.
"...the date of the commencement of the action,” consistent with the plain language in Iowa Code § 668.13(1). See Gilster v. Primebank, 884 F.Supp.2d 811, 884 (N.D.Iowa 2012) (awarding pre-judgment interest under Iowa law on a plaintiff's entire back pay award accruing from the date the plainti..."
Document | U.S. District Court — Northern District of Iowa – 2014
Hagen v. Siouxland Obstetrics & Gynecology, P.C.
"...the date of the commencement of the action,” consistent with the plain language in Iowa Code § 668.13(1). See Gilster v. Primebank, 884 F.Supp.2d 811, 884 (N.D.Iowa 2012) (awarding pre-judgment interest under Iowa law on a plaintiff's entire back pay award accruing from the date the plainti..."

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  • Elevate your practice by focusing your expertise where it matters most while Vincent handles the heavy lifting

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