Former Verizon employee sues for wrongful termination

CHARLESTON -- A Clay County woman is suing Verizon Services Corporation, Verizon West Virginia, and two individuals after she claims she was wrongfully terminated from her employment.

Brenda Lyons began working for Verizon in 2000 as a business associate and consultant, according to a complaint filed Jan. 7 in Kanawha Circuit Court.

Lyons claims she was injured in a car accident March 6, 2006, in which she suffered multiple broken bones in her right leg, heel and ankle, leaving her confined to a wheelchair.

After she returned to work on Jan. 22, 2007, Lyons claims Verizon, Charles Kennedy and Dru Field began a pattern of conduct in which they were clearly trying to harass and/or create a false reason to fire her. She claims between Aug. 4 and Aug. 8, 2008, her calls were monitored by the defendants and she was called into the office of management every day.

Lyons was terminated Sept. 5, 2008. She claims she was fired based on her disability. She claims Verizon has a long history of discriminating against its employees who happen to suffer from a disabling illness or injury.

Lyons is seeking compensatory and punitive damages. She is being represented by Lonnie C. Simmons and Robert M. Bastress III of DiTrapano, Barrett & DiPiero.

The case has been assigned to Circuit Judge Carrie Webster.

Kanawha Circuit Court case number: 10-C-49