Soules v. Independent School District No. 518
Minnesota Supreme Court
258 N.W.2d 103 (1977)
Maureen Soules (plaintiff), a half-time teacher earning $31 per half-day, was terminated by her school district (defendant) without notice or a hearing, and was later offered a full-time teaching position paying only $20 per day, which she declined; she sued for wrongful termination, and the district court ordered reinstatement, awarded $17,401 in damages, but reduced that award by $9,100 after finding she failed to mitigate her damages by rejecting the full-time offer and failing to seek other suitable employment. Soules appealed the damages reduction.
Whether an employer is entitled to a reduction in damages awarded to a wrongfully discharged employee if that employee made no reasonable effort to seek or accept similar work.