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Tyndall engineer gets $1M over job retaliation

A former civilian employee at Tyndall Air Force Base, Fla., won nearly $1 million in federal court, as a jury was convinced that her on-base superiors passed her over for promotions in retaliation for testifying about gender discrimination.

Bridget Keegan, formerly an environmental engineer at Tyndall, accused her superior of retaliating against her after she testified in a 2005 equal employment opportunity hearing that two of her female colleagues suffered gender discrimination while under the supervision of her boss, Kenneth Gleason, according to the lawsuit.

The suit was filed last year in U.S. District Court in for the Northern District of Florida.

Keegan, who holds a Ph.D. in environmental engineering, alleged she was passed over in 2005 for a supervisory position by a less qualified male with no engineering degree. She also said she was later passed over for a separate engineering position by a less qualified engineer.

She also accused Gleason of issuing a memo claiming she was insubordinate and did not follow orders.

Keegan claimed in her suit that the situation at Tyndall deteriorated to the point where she “feared for her physical safety,” according to the suit.

The Air Force denied all of the discrimination allegations.

The Sept. 19 verdict validated Keegan’s claims and the jury granted her an award of $481,500 for lost wages and benefits and another $500,000 for punitive damages, for a total award of $981,500.

Capt. Amanda Ferrell a spokesman for the 325th Fighter Wing at Tyndall said that Keegan is no longer employed at the base. Gleason is still there.

“The US Attorney’s Office is now reviewing the outcome of this case for potential subsequent legal actions,” read a statement issued by the 325th Fighter Wing. “Tyndall leaders expect professionalism from all personnel, and take any deviation from our core values and standards very seriously.”