Photo: Jason Doiy/ALM

A Los Angeles jury has order the University of California, Los Angeles to pay a $13 million verdict for allegedly retaliating against a female oncologist who complained about discrimination.

The verdict came down in Judge Michael Linfield's courtroom, with the jury finding that Dr. Lauren Pinter-Brown deserved $3 million in lost earnings, as well as $10 million in damages for emotional distress. The verdict was rendered Feb. 15 after about 14 days of trial.

Although the jury did not find in favor of Pinter-Brown's age discrimination claim, the jury found that UCLA retaliated against her and discriminated against her based on her gender.

Santa Monica, California, attorney Carney Shegerian of Shegerian & Associates, who represented Pinter-Brown, said that Pinter-Brown's testimony and demeanor was most likely what swayed the jury toward finding in her favor.

“She's incredibility bright, a world-renowned oncologist and impeccably honest,” Shegerian said. “She is just one of those people who is not going to spin anything. She was just telling it like she saw it, and she stood out that way to me as someone very different from the defense witnesses.”

Pinter-Brown started working at UCLA's medical center as the director of its lymphoma program in 2005. According to the plaintiff's counsel, she received exemplary peer reviews and awards throughout her tenure, and, up until 2013, was one of only two female faculty members in the program.

According to Pinter-Brown's counsel, the doctor began raising concerns about being harassed by a male colleague, but was subsequently targeted in several audits. Eventually she had her research privileges suspended and her title stricken, which, she contended, damaged her reputation.

Pinter-Brown's counsel said that, even after filing verbal and written complaints, UCLA made no significant efforts to fix the problem, and that she was forced to “play dead” at work to avoid additional conflicts. She eventually resigned from her position at UCLA in 2015.

According to Shegerian, UCLA argued at trial that Pinter-Brown mischaracterized the comments she claimed had been harassment, and contended the conduct were merely the result of her allegedly not getting along with the subordinate who she alleged had been harassing her. UCLA further contended that it properly handled her reports of harassment through an internal process.

The jury, which was made up of 10 woman and two men, found 10-2 in favor of Pinter-Brown's gender discrimination and retaliation claims.

Barbara Fitzgerald of Morgan, Lewis & Bockius represented UCLA. Fitzgerald did not return a call for comment.