The Civil Rights Act (1991)

This act modified the 1964 Civil Rights Act in several ways:

• It provided for employees to receive a jury trial if they wanted. Up to this point, judges always heard cases and decided them from the bench.
• It established requirements for any employer defense.
• It placed a limitation on punitive damage awards by using a sliding scale depending on the size of the employer organization (payroll headcount):
• For employers with 15 to 100 employees, damages are capped at $50,000.
• For employers with 100 to 200 employees, damages are capped at $100,000.
• For employers with 201 to 500 employees, damages are capped at $200,000.
• For employers with more than 500 employees, damages are capped at $300,000.

For more information, see www.eeoc.gov/eeoc/history/35th/1990s/civilrights.html.

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Sharam Kohan
Sharam Kohan

Sharam Kohan is an organizational leadership professional with experience spanning employment law, human resources, and public service. He is currently an LL.M. degree candidate at UC Berkeley School of Law and previously served on Alameda County’s Human Relations Commission, advancing equity-focused community initiatives. He holds an Employment Law specialization from Temple University School of Law and is SHRM-certified.

Sharam is also a writer whose work explores the intersection of law and philosophy, including Judgment, a Priori Itself and Sartre’s Conception of Freedom. He comments on organizational dynamics and social issues, and supports Bay Area community organizations through philanthropy and volunteer service.

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