A jury has ruled that Integris Canadian Valley Hospital in Yukon, Okla., is required to pay back a $500,000 donation from country musician Garth Brooks as well as another $500,000 in punitive damages after a dispute about how the money should have been used.
Brooks had alleged that the hospital planned to name a women’s center after his late mother in exchange for the $500,000 donation.
He later sued Integris Canadian Valley Hospital for breach of contract when the hospital failed to build the women’s center and reportedly wanted to use the donation for other projects. The hospital alleges that Brooks gave it unrestricted access to the $500,000 donation, according to an Associated Press story.
The hospital’s actions touched a nerve with some jury members.
“We wanted to show them not to do that anymore to anyone else,” a jury member said about the jury’s decision to award punitive damages to Brooks.
