This article was originally printed in the July 2020 issue of the Midsouth Employment Law Letter.

In a recent case involving multiple issues—Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, constructive discharge, and state law claims among them—the U.S. 4th Circuit Court of Appeals (which covers South Carolina employers) outlined standards it will use to determine a punitive damages award based on vicarious liability. Many issues were appealed. In the following article, we’re focusing only on the Title VII punitive damages portion of the decision.