Era Aviation, Inc. v. Lindfors

OPINION

BRYNER, Justice.

I. INTRODUCTION

A jury awarded Sherri Lindfors $50,000 in damages for emotional distress and $725,000 in punitive damages after finding that Era Aviation, her former employer, had passed her over for promotion because she was a woman and retaliated against her for filing a complaint with the Alaska Human Rights Commission. Era appeals, arguing that the superior court incorrectly instructed the jury that it could find Era liable for discrimination if it relied on Lindfors's gender as simply one factor, rather than as the determinative factor, in deciding not to promote…