Appeals Court Affirms $3.2 Million Judgement Against Tucoemas FCU

FRESNO, Calif. -- A state appeals ruled last week that Tucoemas FCU must pay the full $3.2 million judgment to a former executive who claimed she was discriminated against while she was recovering from breast cancer. The credit union already has paid $2 million in compensatory damages, but had appealed the $1.2 million verdict on punitive damages, claiming as a federal credit union they are considered an entity of the federal government protected by sovereign immunity. In her suit, Kim McGee, a 17-year employee and former vice president of lending who had surgery and was undergoing chemotherapy, claimed the credit union refused to provide her with medical accommodations and threatened to fire her if she needed more than four months to recuperate. The credit union held her job for the four months while waiting for her to return to work. McGee said she tried to meet the demands of her boss but was demoted to a part-time position requiring greater physical activity, her pay was cut in half and her medical insurance cancelled.