Spratt v. Guardian Automotive Products, Inc.

# Spratt v. Guardian Automotive Products, Inc. **What Happened** An employee filed a whistleblower complaint against Guardian Automotive Products, invoking USERRA (a federal law protecting military service members). The employer asked the court to remove the employee's request for a jury trial, arguing that only certain types of court remedies were available in this case. **What the Court Decided** The court rejected the employer's request. The judge ruled that because USERRA allows for "liquidated damages" (a specific type of financial penalty), employees have the legal right to have their case decided by a jury rather than just a judge. This meant the case could proceed to trial before a jury of peers. **Why This Matters for Workers** This ruling strengthens protections for military service members and whistleblowers. Juries are often seen as more sympathetic to individual workers than judges alone. By confirming that employees can request jury trials in these cases, the court expanded workers' options for fighting unlawful termination or retaliation related to military service. This gives employees a more powerful tool when their employers violate whistleblower protections.