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Jury awards Kentucky man who declined birthday party $450,000

Holmes Trial Courtroom
Posted at 11:05 AM, Apr 18, 2022
and last updated 2022-04-18 15:43:20-04

A man in Kentucky who sued his former employer for throwing him a birthday when he asked them not to, and they did so anyway, was awarded $450,000.

The Courier-Journal reported that in August 2019, Kevin Berling suffered a panic attack after his manager at Gravity Diagnostics threw him a birthday celebration. However, Berling asked him not to because it would give him anxiety.

According to a lawsuit filed in a Kenton County court, the "Today" show reported that he suffered a second panic attack when his supervisor chastised him.

Berling stated he was fired days after the birthday party because of the previous week's events, the news outlets reported.

On March 31, a jury awarded Berling the $450,000: $300,000 for emotional distress and $150,000 in lost wages, the Associated Press reported.

In a statement to the newspaper, the company said it would pursue its post-trial options, saying the employees, not the plaintiff, were the victims in the case.