Woman awarded $1.2 million in Lincoln University discrimination lawsuit

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KMIZ)

A jury awarded a former Lincoln University employee with $1,271,000 in damages in a discrimination case.

Sheila Gassner had sued the school in 2019, claiming that her compensation was lower than her African-American counterparts, according to previous reporting. Gassner is white and worked for the university for nearly 30 years until her discharge in 2018, reporting states.

Gassner’s attorney, Roger Brown, told ABC 17 News that the jury trial began on Dec. 9 and came back with its decision on damages on Monday. She was awarded damages for two counts: Hostile work environment and constructive discharge.

The university said in a statement that it is “committed to pursuing its options in the Court of Appeals and cannot comment on the pending case."