Ex-LA Times Columnist’s $7.1M Award Tossed by Judge

A judge has thrown out a $7.1-million jury award to former Los Angeles Times sports columnist T.J. Simers, who claimed he was forced to quit because of age and health discrimination.

A judge stripped $2.1 million Simers was awarded in November for economic damages earlier in the week, and the next day he voided the remaining $5 million in damages.

A call to Simers’ lawyer, Carney Shegerian, wasn’t immediately returned.

Simers is 65 and has complex migraine syndrome. He was an L.A. Times columnist for a decade, but he left two years ago to join the Orange County Register.

Simers claimed he suffered discrimination. The Times said he was disciplined for an ethics breach.

The judge ruled Simers wasn’t forced from his job, but he ordered a retrial on some discrimination claims.