A federal jury has awarded a former housing coordinator more than $2.3 million in damages after finding she was forced out of her job amid a hostile work environment at Charlotte’s public housing authority, sending shockwaves through the agency and raising new scrutiny over its leadership.
Jury Delivers Stunning Verdict
In just over an hour of deliberation on Monday, a seven-member jury in Charlotte’s federal courthouse ruled that Tonya Lightner, a former homeownership coordinator, had endured an unlawful workplace after she raised alarms about alleged discrimination against elderly and disabled veterans applying for housing.
The panel found that Monica Nathan, Lightner’s former supervisor, created a hostile work atmosphere that pushed Lightner to resign. While the jury did not conclude Nathan retaliated against her directly, it determined that the housing authority, Inlivian, and its subsidiary Core Programs Inc., acted negligently by keeping Nathan in her managerial role despite mounting concerns.
Damages were split: just $1 assessed against Nathan, while Inlivian and Core were ordered to pay $2.34 million.
