Muslim Guard Gets $465,000 in California Harassment Suit

A San Francisco, Calif. jury has awarded $465,000 to a Muslim security guard who says his co-workers and supervisors called him a terrorist and an al-Qaida member.

The San Francisco Chronicle reported jurors added $400,000 in punitive damages Monday to their earlier $65,000 verdict in favor of Abas Idris for lost wages and emotional distress.

The 27-year-old says he quit his job as a security guard for Los Angeles-based Andrews International in February 2010 after the company failed to take his complaints about harassment seriously. He had served as a guard at the Letterman Digital Arts Center in the Presidio.

An attorney for Andrews says the company had promoted Idris to a supervisory position and plans to appeal the verdict.