A former Bethlehem Construction worker who sued their Cashmere-based employer for racial discrimination received a reduction in lost wages owed to him Thursday.

Chelan County Superior Court Judge Kristin Ferrera ruled a partial judgment, denying the Plaintiff’s motion to reconsider this order and granted the Defendant’s remittitur, allowing a court to change the damage award or verdict with the Plaintiff’s permission.

As a result, Sanchez received $1,620 in lost wages, a reduction from the original $77,360 he received from the trial.

In April of 2022, Uriel Sanchez was awarded $327,360, $77,360 for lost wages and approximately $250,000 in damages, after a jury trial found Bethlehem Construction guilty of racially discriminating against Sanchez.

Sanchez’s attorney Corey M. Kane says Bethlehem Construction had discriminated against him for being Mexican-American, and that he received unfair treatment after making a discrimination complaint.

During the trial, Sanchez shared that while working on a construction site in Quincy back in 2016, workers were frequently given dirty water. He recalled one incident where one of his coworkers spit up blood and later drank from the same dirty water supply. 

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When Sanchez reported this to his supervisor, Greg Neal, he said that they would work on it, but later said that Sanchez was “s*** out of luck.”

Shortly after the trial, defense attorneys Lane Powell PC motioned for remittitur, claiming that the $77,360 in lost wages were miscalculated and that the plaintiff’s legal fees were excessive.

The defense also claimed that there was juror misconduct, and that plaintiffs instructed the jury on the “cat’s paw” legal theory, arguing that employers can be held liable for an employee’s discriminatory behavior influencing the termination of a discriminated employee.

Ferrera will determine the plaintiff’s attorney fees and costs at a later date.

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