Man says car dealership fired him because of his age

CHARLESTON - A Kanawha County man has filed a suit against a local automobile dealership, claiming he was fired because of his age.

Landon Keesee filed the suit May 19 in Kanawha Circuit Court against Turnpike Ford and Stephen Parsons, the vice president and director of the dealership.

Keesee claims he was employed by Turnpike from 1989 to 2008, when he was fired on March 31. According to the suit, Keesee, 61 when he was fired, claims he was fired because of his age, which is a violation of the West Virginia Code.

Keesee claims he suffered aggravation, annoyance, inconvenience, past and future lost wages, loss of employment benefits, humiliation, embarrassment, emotional and mental distress and loss of personal dignity.

According to the suit, Keesee seeks compensatory damages, as well as an education program that will enlighten the company on the prevention of age discrimination in the work place.

Attorney Thomas H. Peyton is representing Keesee. The case has been assigned to Judge Tod Kaufman.

Kanawha Circuit Court case number 08-C-960