Baker v. National State Bank

The central issue in this employment discrimination case concerns when victims of workplace discrimination may recover punitive damages. That issue is similar to the primary issue in Cavuoti v. New Jersey Transit Corp., 161 N.J. 107, 735 A.2d 548 (1999), also decided today. The relevant principles set forth in that case will be applied here. See Cavuoti, supra, at 116-29, 735 A.2d 548.

Our decision in Lehmann v. Toys ‘R’ Us, Inc., 132 N.J. 587, 626 A.2d 445 (1993), “established two distinct conditions that must be met as prerequisites to the award of punitive damages in a discrimination suit…