A former GTE executive was awarded nearly $5.7 million last month after jurors determined her employer breached a severance agreement. Pamela Jacobson was a senior-level executive with GTE when she quit her job for "good reason," which under the company's executive severance agreement entitled her to full benefits. However, Jacobson claimed that she was denied those benefits because of sexual discrimination. As a result, the contract dispute and discrimination case were combined into a two-part trial. In the severance dispute, jurors found in favor of Jacobson, awarding her severance payments, insurance benefits, executive incentive plan proceeds, stock options, and benefit credit. The sexual discrimination suit was settled before that phase of the trial began.