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& Supp. 2000). Damages for mental anguish or suffering,
reasonable attorney’s fees, and punitive damages also may be
awarded to the aggrieved party. See id.9 Thus, we conclude that
the Minnesota Human Rights Act compensates an aggrieved party for
“the other traditional harms associated with personal injury.”
Commissioner v. Schleier, supra at 336.
Under the Minnesota Human Rights Act, it is an unfair
employment practice for an employer to discharge an employee
because of age. See Minn. Stat. Ann. sec. 363.03, subd. 1(2)(b).
In order to prove a prima facie case of age discrimination under
Minnesota law, a plaintiff must show: (1) He was a member of a
protected class,10 (2) he was qualified for the position he held,
(3) despite his qualifications, his position was terminated, and
(4) a younger person was assigned to do his work. See Ward v.
9In an employment case involving discrimination, the statute
also provides for:
the hiring, reinstatement or upgrading of an aggrieved
party, who has suffered discrimination, with or without
back pay, admission or restoration to membership in a
labor organization, or admission to or participation in
an apprenticeship training program, on-the-job training
program, or other retraining program, or any other
relief the administrative law judge deems just and
equitable. [Minn. Stat. Ann. sec. 363.071, subd. 2(a)
(West 1991 & Supp. 2000).]
10Minn. Stat. Ann. sec. 363.01, subd. 3 (West 1991 & Supp.
2000) protects individuals over the age of majority, except for
Minn. Stat. Ann. sec. 363.03, subd. 5 (West 1991 & Supp. 2000),
which protects individuals over the age of 25 years.
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