Defense verdict for Audrey and Bradley

Following a 4.5-week trial in King County Superior Court, Audrey M. Airut Murphy and Bradley Wilding obtained a full defense verdict in an employment case defending one of the largest school districts in Washington. The trial involved employment claims brought by a substitute teacher against her school district employer, relating to the school district’s decisions to take investigative and disciplinary action in response to allegations of employee misconduct. 

At trial, the plaintiff sought 12.9 million dollars in damages as well as attorney fees for her claims of Washington Law Against Discrimination (WLAD) disparate treatment, retaliation, and harassment on the basis of her gender, gender expression, and gender identity as a transgender woman. The jury found no liability for any of these claims. 

During opening statements and closing arguments, Audrey emphasized the appropriate nondiscriminatory responses taken by the school district to address and investigate reported complaints involving student, staff, and school safety. After the verdict, jurors complimented the demeanor of the defense presentation and articulated an understanding of issues Audrey highlighted during closing argument.