The head of the Missouri Veterans Commission has been placed on paid leave after jurors awarded nearly $3 million in damages to a former employee who claimed discrimination and harassment over her dismissal.
The Jefferson City News-Tribune (http://bit.ly/2aqGp9K ) reports that the commission is offering no details on executive director Larry Kay's status.
Commission spokesman Daniel Bell described the situation Wednesday as a personnel matter. Bell said that Deputy Director Bryan Hunt is the acting executive director until further notice.
Last week, jurors awarded Pat Rowe Kerr $1.3 million in actual damages and $1.6 million in punitive damages. Kerr's attorneys argued that she was dismissed because Kay has a problem with older, successful women.
Kay and the commission had said her dismissal was due to budget cuts at the time.
