Alabama- A jury awarded a Morgan County woman $158,000 in a claim she filed against Hembree Machine Inc. in Decatur and one of its owners, Fred Hembree of Hartselle.

Shirley Tanner Ryan, 58, won the verdict, which included punitive damages of $150,000, on Sept. 15. The trial took place in Morgan County Circuit Court.

Ryan claimed Hembree grabbed her breast, tried to remove her pants, directed vulgar comments at her and asked her for sex, according to court records.

She said the actions took place in Hembree’s office.

Ryan’s attorney, Kerri Johnson Riley of Huntsville, said she sued under state law because the defendants had too few employees to be covered by federal harassment and discrimination laws.

The jury found both Hembree, 78, of Hartselle and the company guilty of outrageous misconduct, assault and battery and invasion of privacy.

Ryan tape-recorded one of the encounters with Hembree. The court permitted her to play the audiotape to the jury during the four-day trial.

Ryan filed the suit in July 2002 after Hembree Machine sued her for depreciation of a car supplied to her by the company. Hembree dropped that claim before Ryan filed suit.