Man says he was fired after raising safety concerns

MADISON – A Kanawha County man is suing over claims he was fired because he raised safety concerns to his employer.

Brian K. Miller filed a lawsuit Aug. 23 in Boone Circuit Court against Virginia Drilling Company LLC and Anthony Kidd, citing retaliatory discharge.

According to the complaint, Miller was employed by the defendant company for 11 years before he was maliciously terminated on June 15, 2009. Miller says he was re-hired in May 2012, laid off in July 2012, told he would be rehired in November 2013, and then informed he would not be rehired in January 2014.

Kidd, a supervisor of Miller's, is accused of having a hand in the retaliatory discharge that Miller says is based upon his raising safety concerns within the company.

Miller is seeking damages, lost wages and benefits, back pay, front pay, interest and attorneys' fees.

He is being represented in the case by attorneys Mark A. Atkinson and John-Mark Atkinson of Atkinson and Polak in Charleston and Harry M. Hatfield of Hatfield & Hatfield in Madison.

Boone Circuit Court case number: 14-C-161