MARTINSBURG - A Berkeley County woman has filed a suit against a national retail shoe store where she was employed, claiming she was discriminated against and fired.
Constance Huyett filed a suit Sept. 13 in Berkeley Circuit Court against Reebok International, LTD. Huyett worked at the Reebok store in Martinsburg from Dec. 2, 2002 to May 7, 2007.
According to the suit, a pornographic magazine was brought to the store April 21, 2007, by a friend of the manager. The friend gave the magazine to Huyett and asked her to deliver it to the manager.
"(Huyett), not knowing that the magazine was pornographic in nature, briefly opened it," the suit says. "As soon as (she) realized that the magazine contained pornography, she immediately closed it and placed the same out of view under the sales counter."
Huyett claims she asked the friend about bringing the magazine to the store and later put it in the manager's private store mailbox.
Huyett then went on vacation from April 29 to May 5, 2007. When she returned May 7, she was fired for alleged misconduct in regard to the magazine. The manager whose friend brought the magazine was the one who informed her of her termination.
According to the suit, Huyett claims her termination violated the West Virginia Human Rights Act. She also claims she suffered lost wages, loss of future earnings, humiliation, embarrassment, emotional and mental distress and loss of personal dignity.
Huyett, through attorney Barry P. Beck, seeks compensation for unpaid wages and liquidated damages.
The case has been assigned to Judge David Sanders.
Berkeley Circuit Court case number 07-C-962