MOUNDSVILLE - A Moundsville man says he was fired from his job at ConocoPhillips Services for reporting the unsafe driving of a coworker and because of his age.
Robert and Kathy Young filed the lawsuit in Marshall Circuit Court against ConocoPhillips and Bonnie Vetanze, a human resources representative at ConocoPhillips.
"Robert L. Young believes ... that Defendant ConocoPhillips Services, Inc., terminated in whole or in part because he exercised his right to partake in protected activities, including but not limited to reporting unsafe and/or improper driving on the part of a coworker not on the premises of the employer and after hours," the complaint says.
Young says he started work there in 1973 until he was fired June 8, 2004, two days after being suspended.
He adds that his firing was motivated by the defendants' desire to hire someone younger
He charges the defendants with retaliatory discharge and age discrimination, while his wife Kathy is suing for loss of consortium.
"As a result of the wrongful actions aforesaid, Plaintiff Kathy Young has suffered the loss of various services, companionship, society and consortium of Plaintiff Robert L. Young due to Mr. Young's injuries and damages," the complaint says.
Robert Young's injuries, he says, are: Annoyance, inconvenience, humiliation, embarrassment and loss of personal dignity, lost wages, diminished earning capacity and loss of enjoyment of life.
The Youngs seek compensatory and punitive damages and are represented by Nicholas Wininsky of Wheeling's Wininsky Law Offices.
Marshall Circuit Court case number 06-C-122M
Moundsville man says he was fired in retaliation
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