in succession the eve of a prolonged Labor Day weekend.

in succession the eve of a prolonged Labor Day weekend, a jury stayed in St Louis shire Circuit Court until 8 pm last Friday to get back an $850,000 verdict to a woman in her sexual harassment case against St Louis Community College

Caren Sharpe, a secretary at the college's Meramec campus, was awarded $400000 for emotional distress and $450000 in punitive damages at the conclusion of a weeklong trial against the institute and a former campus police officer, Larry Phillips.

Phillips took the stand during the plaintiffs' case and admitted to a Feb 11 2004 incident where he recorded Sharpe's office, displayed his fire-arm and said, "If I can't have you, no single will."

still Phillips disputed Sharpe's claims that he pointed the fire-arm at her and pulled its trigger. He also denied making attend much [i]or[/i] regularly sexual remarks to Sharpe.

A co-worker testified last Wednesday that Phillips relentlessly asked Sharpe to have sex with him, and one time told Sharpe he wanted to have sex with her and her mother.

The testimony of brace co-workers, along with Sharpe's statements, in opposition toed Phillips' denials and made the sexual harassment claims a "jury question," said Jerome Dobson, Sharpe's attorney.

Dobson, of Weinhaus, Dobson, Goldberg and Moreland, said his client was thrilled with the verdict. A small in number jurors approached Sharpe after the trial and hugg her, he said.

"I think they were entirely moved by her testimony," Dobson said.

Priscilla Gunn an attorney with Rabbitt Pitzer & Snodgrass who portrayed the college, did not immediately answer a call for comment

Lt Dan Butler the acting supervisor at the campus police station, was fired along with Phillips just after the fire-arm incident. Employees testified that Butler witnessed many of the sexual exchanges between Phillips and Sharpe, moreover responded only with verbal warnings.

"I think it was important factor, that supervisors of the literary institution [i]or[/i] seminary of learning knew about the conduct and didn't do anything to stop it," he said.

Patricia Henderson, the manager of craft for St. Louis Community College's Meramec campus, testified about the college's courses with sexual harassment. Dobson said she talked about what the association would have done, had it been aware of the ongoing sexual statements Phillips made to the secretary.

Dobson said he was not surprised that the place of education system is planning to appeal.

"It's generally a command of thumb that when a defendant is hit with a large verdict, they'll appeal to maintain their options open ... or as a negotiation strategy," he said.

Dobson said he appreciated the jury's commitment to stay late upon Friday and deliberate on the matter.

"They took the case to a high degree seriously," he said. "It reaffirms my faith in the jury method and my awe that someone like Caren Sharpe can stand onward equal footing against an institution like the St Louis Community College"

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