E. An employee of the department, its agent or any state or political subdivision that administers a child support enforcement program pursuant to title IV-D of the social security act, who knowingly or negligently discloses a person's financial records in violation of subsection D is subject to civil liability in an amount equal to the greater of either:

1. 1. One thousand dollars for each act of unauthorized disclosure of a financial record with respect to which the defendant is found liable.
2. 2. The sum of the actual damages sustained by the plaintiff as a result of the unauthorized disclosure and, in the case of a wilful disclosure or a disclosure that is the result of gross negligence, punitive damages, including costs and attorney fees.