A federal jury in Manhattan has ordered Starwood Hotels & Resorts to pay $3 million to a baker at the Westin Times Square, who claimed he was retaliated against for filing repeated discrimination claims.
Moises Mendez, a 46-year old immigrant from Ecuador, said the hotel installed a hidden camera near his workstation in the kitchen of the Westin shortly after he filed written complaints of unlawful discrimination with the human resources department.
The jury awarded Mendez $1 million for emotional distress and pain and suffering, and $2 million in punitive damages.
In a statement issued Thursday by his lawyer, Mendez said, "I put my faith in America's system of justice, and I look forward to going back to work today."