A Hudson County judge vacated a $500,000 jury award for a former Bayonne City Hall worker yesterday after granting a motion for directed verdict for the city.
“As a preliminary matter, this Court did not rule on Defendant City of Bayonne’s motion for a directed verdict as to the hostile work environment and retaliation claims but rather reserved because the Court felt that, at the time same was filed, there was no further testimony and given the length of the case, it was best to allow the jury to deliberate,” Hudson County Superior Court Judge Kimberly Espinales-Maloney wrote.
“However, now that the jury verdict was rendered on May 1, 2025, the Court will address these claims … As to Plaintiff’s hostile work environment claim, the jury found that she was subjected to a hostile work environment and that the City should be held liable and awarded her $500,000 for her emotional distress. The Court disagrees and will now grant the motion for a directed verdict for the following reasons.”
Sincerrae Ross received unanimous jury award of half a million dollars against the City of Bayonne after a six-week jury trial on Thursday, where Espinales-Maloney also denied any punitive damages for the plaintiff, as only HCV reported…