Davis & Hoss win age case: Jury Awards $535,839
1.14.2010

by Judy Frank.... Two former police officials are justified in their contention that their positions were abolished in 2007 as part of a strategy to replace the two older employees with younger, less experienced and much less well-paid officers, a Chancery Court jury has decided. Shortly before 4 p.m. Thursday, jurors returned from deliberations and awarded T.E. “Skip” Vaughn – who was the Chattanooga Police Department’s longest serving officer at the time he lost his job – a total of $202,293. Charles Cooke, who is a few years younger, received $333,546 in back pay and punitive damages. Lee Davis, one of two attorneys who represented the plaintiffs, was jubilant, saying the jury verdict was vindication for the two former officers and a complete repudiation of both the actions taken and the defense strategy utilized by the Chattanooga Police Department. “They are deeply indebted to this jury for its hard work,” he said, noting that deliberations lasted about four hours.

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