In March 2011, plaintiff Brandi Lover, an African-American woman in her 30s, was hired as junior account executive at Faith Connextion Retail LLC, a fashion company. In December 2011, Faith Connextion folded and gave way to a new company, Young by Yoyo Yeung, where Lover continued to be employed as a junior account executive. Lover claimed that shortly thereafter, she became subjected to workplace discrimination and harassment based on her race. She claimed that as a result, she made complaints to management and human resources, but on June 29, 2012, she was terminated from employment. Lover sued Yoyo Yeung; Young by Yoyo Yeung, also known as Young by Yoyo Yeung Inc.; and Faith Connextion Retail LLC. Lover alleged that the defendants’ actions constituted race discrimination, harassment, retaliation and wrongful termination. The matter proceeded to a bench trial. Lover contended that shortly after Young by Yoyo Yeung was founded, she started experiencing discrimination and harassment in the workplace due to her African-American race. She claimed she was subjected to such comments/remarks about how Yeung preferred to hire a blonde woman, about how she did not fit the image of the company, about how it was a mistake to hire her, and about how an African-American woman should not be representing the company in booths at conventions. Lover also claimed that a fellow African-American employee told her that Yeung did not like employees like them, making a physical reference to their skin color. In addition, Lover claimed that when she complained about the remarks to management and human resources, the company retaliated against her by terminating her employment. Prior to trial, the defendants’ attorney moved to be relieved as counsel, and the court granted the motion. Thereafter, Yeung did not appear at trial., Lover claimed she was unable to find new employment until November 2012, and that her new job paid half of the salary she earned working for the defendants. She also claimed she suffered emotional distress as a result of the discrimination and termination and subsequently treated once with a therapist. Thus, Lover sought recovery of damages for her loss of earnings and her emotional distress, as well as recovery of punitive damages as a result of the defendants’ alleged malicious conduct.