CHARLESTON – A man is suing Blackhawk Mining after he claims his employment was wrongfully terminated and he was replaced with a significantly younger employee.
Hampden Coal and Tony Osborne were also named as defendants in the suit.
Earl Dotson was employed by the defendants for approximately 10 years and was discharged on July 20, 2015, and replaced with someone much younger, according to a complaint filed July 19 in Logan Circuit Court and removed to federal court on Aug. 23.
Dotson claims the defendants violated the West Virginia Human Rights Act and caused him to suffer lost wages and benefits.
The defendants’ actions were willful, wanton and/or undertaken with reckless disregard and/or reckless indifference to the rights of the plaintiff, according to the suit.
Dotson claims the defendants’ actions were willful and malicious.
Dotson is seeking compensatory and punitive damages. He is being represented by Stephen P. New and Amanda J. Taylor.
The defendants are represented by Ashley C. Pack of Dinsmore & Shohl.
U.S. District Court for the Southern District of West Virginia case number: 2:17-cv-03865