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Jury finds Boston Water and Sewer Commission retaliated against manager who filed race complaint

Jury finds Boston Water and Sewer Commission retaliated against manager who filed race complaint

Rule Changes Boston, MA local

Suffolk Superior Court awards Terrance Williams $1.32 million; a second discrimination suit against the commission is pending

Today: Jury awards Williams $1.32 million

Overview

Updated 58 minutes ago

A Suffolk Superior Court jury awarded Terrance Williams, a longtime Boston Water and Sewer Commission manager, $1.32 million after finding the agency fired him in retaliation for complaining about racial discrimination. The jury agreed that white co-workers received promotions and higher salaries Williams was denied, and that some lacked the college degrees he was told the jobs required.

The verdict rejects the commission's argument that Williams was fired for clocking into his commission job while also working as a civil-process server for the Suffolk County Sheriff's Department. The award includes $600,000 in actual damages, $400,000 in punitive damages, and $320,100 in interest. The commission still faces a separate racial and sexual discrimination suit from a former human-resources employee.

Why it matters

A Boston municipal agency must pay $1.32 million for retaliating against a manager who complained of racial discrimination — and still faces a second discrimination suit.

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Key Indicators

$1.32M
Total jury award
Includes $600,000 actual damages, $400,000 punitive damages, and $320,100 interest.
$400K
Punitive damages
Awarded on top of actual damages after the jury found for Williams.
3 days
Jury deliberations
Three days of deliberations after a nearly three-week trial.

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People Involved

Organizations Involved

Timeline

2025 October 2026

2 events Latest: Today
  1. BWSC fires Williams after race complaint

    Employment

    Commission fires Williams, who says it was retaliation for his discrimination complaint.

Scenarios

1

BWSC appeals the $1.32 million verdict

Likely Resolves by Dec 1, 2026

Discussed by: Employment law firm Katz Banks Kumin LLP, which has documented large verdicts later reduced on appeal

The commission has 30 days from the judgment to file a notice of appeal with the Massachusetts Appeals Court. Municipal agencies often appeal sizable verdicts, and the appeal would test whether the jury correctly rejected the time-clock defense. If no appeal is filed, the verdict becomes final and the commission must pay.

2

Appeals court reduces or overturns the damages

Possible Resolves by End of 2027

Discussed by: Katz Banks Kumin LLP, which cited a $20.5 million Pennsylvania verdict cut to $1.5 million and a $238 million Washington verdict reduced

If BWSC appeals, the Massachusetts Appeals Court could overturn the liability finding, reduce the punitive award as excessive, or let the verdict stand. Race discrimination claims under federal law carry no statutory cap on damages, which is how this award reached six figures. The court could also order a new trial on damages.

3

Second BWSC discrimination suit ends in a verdict or settlement

Possible Resolves by End of 2027

Discussed by: Universal Hub, which reported the commission 'still faces a separate racial and sexual discrimination suit by its former human-resources' employee

The former HR employee's suit alleging racial and sexual discrimination is still pending. It could settle, go to trial and produce a verdict, or be dismissed. A second large award would compound the commission's exposure and pressure it to change hiring and promotion practices.

Historical Context

3 moments from history that rhyme with this story — and how they unfolded.

December 2024

Mohamed v. SHRM (2024)

A Colorado jury awarded $11.5 million to Rehab Mohamed, an Egyptian Arab senior instructional designer who said the Society for Human Resource Management fired her in 2020, months after she complained about racial discrimination. The jury found discrimination and retaliation.

Then

The jury awarded $1.5 million in compensatory damages and $10 million in punitive damages.

Now

The verdict became a cautionary tale for HR organizations, showing that retaliation after a discrimination complaint can bring large punitive awards.

Why this matters now

Like BWSC, SHRM is an institution that sets workplace standards; the verdict showed juries punish employers that retaliate against employees reporting bias.

November 2025

Davis v. Merck (2025)

A Manhattan federal jury awarded $6 million to Richard Davis, a Black former IT director, after finding Merck fired him because of his race. Davis had removed a White contractor from a project, was investigated, and was terminated months later.

Then

The jury awarded $1 million back pay, $2 million front pay, $1 million in compensatory damages, and $2 million in punitive damages.

Now

The case reinforced that juries award large punitive damages when decision-makers treat minority employees differently from white colleagues.

Why this matters now

Shows the recent pattern of sizable race discrimination verdicts against major employers, similar to the Williams award.

April 2024

Holmes v. American HomePatient (2024)

A Pennsylvania federal jury awarded $20.5 million to Patricia Holmes, a Black customer service representative subjected to racial slurs and a hostile work environment. The jury found the company acted maliciously.

Then

The court reduced the $20 million punitive award to $1 million, leaving a $1.5 million total.

Now

Shows that large punitive awards are often cut on appeal to comply with constitutional due-process limits.

Why this matters now

Suggests the $1.32 million BWSC award could be reduced on appeal, though its size is modest compared with the largest verdicts.

Sources

(3)