Aarón Torres
堪萨斯城之星
(MCT)
吉安·哈里斯（Jyan Harris）竭尽所能避免堪萨斯城，堪萨斯州，消防员。
He goes grocery shopping before dawn so he does not run into former coworkers. He cannot stand looking at fire trucks. The sound of sirens triggers trauma.
哈里斯说：“我再也没有一样了，伙计。”“我什至不觉得自己在这个国家服役并为这个国家打进战争时，我都不觉得自己是同一个人。”
2021年4月，federal jury sided with Harris, finding that the统一政府discriminated against him while he was a firefighter with the堪萨斯城，堪萨斯州消防局。The 10-member jury awarded Harris more than $2.4 million.
But more than 14 months later, Harris has not received a dime. His bills are piling up. His anxiety keeps getting worse.
Harris and the UG are stuck on the settlement amount — and have been since August 2021.
哈里斯认为他有权获得240万美元。但是法院文件说，UG一直在努力支付他的费用要少得多，同时又拖出了这一过程。
The UG did not respond to multiple emails seeking comment.
Sarah Liesen, an attorney for Harris, declined to comment.
Harris, who is Black, sued the Unified Government in 2018, after he was fired for raising complaints about racism he faced within the fire department. The UG had accused him of double dipping when he submitted timesheets for seasonal work he did at summer youth camps for the parks and recreation department while he was scheduled to work for the fire department.
Harris and his attorneys, however, argued the UG investigated and terminated him because he had raised discrimination complaints.
陪审团在为期9天的审判后决定了他的支持。
陪审团的裁决是咨询裁决，这意味着法官将确定金额是否合适。美国地方法院法官朱莉·罗宾逊（Julie Robinson）在詹姆斯·P·奥哈拉（James P. O’Hara）法官的领导下将案件送交了调解，因此哈里斯（Harris）和UG可以尝试达到最终金额。
哈里斯说，他对这一过程的表现感到惊讶。根据法庭记录，陪审团作出判决，他的律师和UG进行调解的四个月多了。法庭记录说，他们无法达成协议，但是和解的框架是：
- Back pay from the date of termination through August 2021: $357,541
- Emotional distress: $235,435
- 恢复哈里斯并向他付给他的定期薪水，并由适用的工会合同定于未来四年
- Harris would retire at 55 and would be able to collect his retirement funds
Several months later, on Dec. 6, an order was issued saying both sides agreed on the terms, which would have ended the case.
But that agreement was news to Harris. He was not aware that the order had been filed in court until later that month.
“我很生气，”哈里斯说。
根据法院文件中提交的和解协议的草案，该案一直持续到5月3日，直到5月3日提交动议，以少于150万美元的价格支付150万美元。哈里斯将再次在该部门雇用，但不会担任消防员。
Again, the UG argued both sides had agreed to a settlement.
哈里斯的律师在回应5月19日提出的动议时说：“尚未达成这种协议。”
In the year since the verdict — and throughout the settlement negotiations — Harris has show up to UG meetings and spoken to commissioners expressing his frustration.
He says he’s lost 40 pounds since he was fired in 2018. He can’t sleep most nights. He can’t help but feel ashamed.
“I’m feeling ashamed even though I did nothing wrong,” Harris said. “I feel ashamed that it went this far. I feel ashamed that I’m not a fireman anymore helping my community.”
A hearing on the motion to enforce the settlement agreement has been set for 10 a.m. on July 26.
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