BECKLEY – A Raleigh County man is suing his former employer amid allegations he was wrongfully terminated based on his age.
Richard Bonifacio filed a lawsuit May 24 in Raleigh Circuit Court against AutoZoners LLC and Michael Mickey, alleging age discrimination under the West Virginia Human Rights Act.
According to the complaint, Bonifacio worked for AutoZone as a commercial sales manager from Aug. 30, 2002 until his termination on Feb. 22, 2016. The suit claims Bonifacio had a spotless record until Mickey was hired as district manager, after which the plaintiff was given several verbal and written reprimands. The plaintiff claims the reprimands and his termination were a result of age discrimination, as Bonifacio was allegedly replaced with a lower-paid worker under the age of 40.
The plaintiff seeks a jury trial and punitive and compensatory damages. He is represented by attorney Greg A. Hewitt of Hewitt & Salvatore PLLC in Fayetteville.
Judge H.L. Kirkpatrick III is assigned to the case.
Raleigh Circuit Court Case number 16-C-334