News Notes: PepsiCo Hit With Reverse Discrimination Verdict By White Executive

A white female manager who charged that she was passed over for promotion in favor of an African-American man was awarded $2.6 million in damages. Patricia Steffes worked at PepsiCo for 24 years and claimed she had a long record of positive evaluations. When she complained about not getting promoted, the company allegedly retaliated by criticizing her performance and trying to transfer her to another location, forcing her to quit. PepsiCo contended Steffes wasn’t qualified for the higher job and plans to appeal the verdict.