Rita Lynne Terpstra v. State of Missouri, Department of Labor and Industrial Relations Commission

**Worker Wins Major Age Discrimination Case Against Missouri State Agency** Rita Lynne Terpstra, an employee of Missouri's Department of Labor and Industrial Relations Commission, sued her employer claiming she faced age discrimination and retaliation. The case went to trial where Terpstra presented evidence that the state agency treated her unfairly because of her age and then retaliated against her for speaking up about it. The court ruled in Terpstra's favor, finding that the state agency did discriminate against her based on her age. The trial court awarded her $20,000 for actual damages (covering losses like lost wages and benefits), plus $280,000 in punitive damages meant to punish the employer for their wrongful conduct. She also received over $731,000 to cover her attorney fees. When the state appealed the decision, the appellate court upheld the entire judgment, confirming the total award of more than $1 million. This case shows that workers can successfully fight age discrimination, even against government employers. The substantial punitive damages and attorney fees demonstrate that courts take workplace age discrimination seriously and will hold employers accountable with significant financial consequences when they break the law.