Woman says she was wrongfully fired

CHARLESTON – A Kanawha County woman is suing over claims she was fired when she expressed her intent to leave her job.

Jeanette Pleva filed her lawsuit in Kanawha Circuit Court against West Virginia Paralyzed Veterans of America Inc.; Randy L. Pleva, Sr., individually and in his capacity as president of West Virginia Paralyzed Veterans of America Inc.; Gilbert D. Miller, individually and in his capacity as vice president of West Virginia Paralyzed Veterans of America Inc.; and Troy Finlen, Darrell Miller, Douglass Campbell, Laura Ellington, Ron Patterson and Jim White, as members of the board of directors of West Virginia Paralyzed Veterans of America Inc.

According to the complaint, Jeanette Pleva was working as office manager at West Virginia Paralyzed Veterans of America Inc. in December 2013, when her husband, president of the organization Randy L. Pleva Sr., began a relationship with a coworker in 2013. Jeanette Pleva says after she and her husband divorced Feb. 26, 2014, Randy Pleva married the coworker and began a pattern of conduct constituting harassment, forcing Jeanette Pleva to inform the organization of her intent to leave her position April 23, 2014. The complaint states defendant Miller then terminated her and informed her she was not entitled to retirement benefits.

Pleva seeks more than $72,000 in severance benefits, $10,800 in sick leave and more than $216,000 in liquidated damages. She is represented by attorney Robert Kuenzel of Kuenzel & Associates in Chapmanville. The case has been assigned to Circuit Judge Louis "Duke" Bloom.

Kanawha Circuit Court case number: 14-C-2014