Veterans Commission head placed on leave

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- The head of the Missouri Veterans Commission has been placed on paid leave after jurors awarded nearly $3 million in damages to a former employee who claimed discrimination and harassment over her dismissal.

The commission is offering no further details about executive director Larry Kay's status, The Jefferson City News-Tribune reported. Commission spokesman Daniel Bell described the situation Wednesday as "a personnel matter." Bell said deputy director Bryan Hunt is the acting executive director until further notice.

Last week, jurors awarded $1.3 million in actual damages and about $1.6 million in punitive damages to Pat Rowe Kerr, who was dismissed from her position as a senior adviser for veteran outreach in November 2009. She sued the agency in July 2011.

Kerr's attorneys argued she was dismissed because Kay has a problem with older, successful women. They also claimed Kay showed favoritism to men and younger employees.

At the time, Kay and the commission had said her dismissal was due to budget cuts.