‘Twas two nights before Christmas, in the Second Circuit’s hall,
A case was decided, with judges standing tall.
A plaintiff determined, with claims in her hand,
Against her former employer, she took a firm stand.
Her journey began with a trial so grand,
Where a jury awarded her a hefty demand.
$575,000 for distress she did claim,
And $2 million in punitive, to add to her name.
But the district court found the damages too high,
“Excessive and prejudiced,” they couldn’t deny.
A new trial was ordered, the first deemed unfair,
With evidentiary issues, they had to repair.
In the second trial, the stakes were reset,
With psychiatric records and faxes unmet.
The jury again found the defendants at fault,
But awarded just $1, a nominal result.
The plaintiff appealed, her hopes still alight,
To the Second Circuit, she brought her fight.
The judges reviewed, with wisdom and care,
The summary judgment, the new trial, and more to compare.
They found no error in the district court’s way,
Affirming the judgment, they had their say.
The plaintiff’s claims of retaliation fell short,
Her actions not clear as protected, they thought.
The damages awarded, though once quite grand,
Were trimmed to a dollar, by the jury’s hand.
The psychiatric records, the fax, and the rest,
Were rightly excluded, the court did attest.
So the Second Circuit, with gavel in hand,
Upheld the decisions, as they firmly stand.
And the plaintiff, though her fight was long,
Found justice in measures, both right and strong.
As the courtrooms fell silent, and the judges took flight,
“Grinch, hold our egg nog, and to all a good night!”