A jury awarded $16 million to two former Port of Seattle employees it determined were wrongfully fired, among the biggest verdicts of its kind in state history. A settlement between the plaintiffs and the Port caps damages at $8 million, with all sides agreeing not to appeal.
The settlement is the latest fallout stemming from a years-long controversy over racial discrimination and restaurant leases at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport. The taxpayer-subsidized Port has faced two lawsuits over the issue that, as of May, had cost it $1.7 million in outside legal fees alone.
John Creighton, the Port commissioner at the center of the plaintiffs’ allegations, said he had nothing to do with the firing of Zachrisson and Lincoln but believes it was the right decision.
