Putnam woman sues Huntington Bank for termination, discrimination

CHARLESTON -- A Putnam County woman is suing Huntington Bancshares and and employee after she claims she was wrongfully terminated from her employment and discriminated against.

Carolyn Hall began her employment with the defendant in September 1999, where she eventually became the vice president of regional marketing before her employment was terminated on Nov. 17, 2009, according to a complaint filed Nov. 3 in Kanawha Circuit Court.

Hall claims she worked directly under Clayton W. Rice, who was Huntington Bancshares' president at its Clarksburg location.

From Aug. 20, 2009, until Nov. 17, 2009, Hall was supervised by Rice and was "denigrated, intimidated and otherwise forced to remain in a hostile work environment," according to the suit.

Hall claims Rice requested her to have lunch catered for the monthly management meeting in Charleston and that she initiated arrangements through a local caterer, but jokingly advised Rice's secretary that "she was '... not his gopher.'"

Rice also subjected Hall to listen to voicemail messages on his cell phone containing inappropriate and offensive language, according to the suit.

Hall claims she was terminated in retaliation for the Aug. 20, 2009, corporate management team meeting held in Morgantown when regional employee morale issues were raised, causing Rice to appear in a negative light for which he "unfairly, inappropriately and without reason" blamed her.

She claims her employment was terminated because of her gender and age and "in retaliation for knowledge possessed by plaintiff of defendant Rice's misuse of company property."

Hall is seeking compensatory and punitive damages. She is being represented by Scott H. Kaminski.

The case has been assigned to Circuit Judge James C. Stucky.

Kanawha Circuit Court case number: 10-C-1964