WAYNE — A woman claims she was terminated wrongfully from her employment at Waffle House due to a medical disability.
Midwest Waffles and Priscilla Flora were named as defendants in the suit.
Jessica Longerbeam was employed by the defendant from July 1, 2022, until Jan. 6, 2023, according to a complaint filed in Wayne Circuit Court.
Longerbeam claims she was first hired at Midwest Waffles to work in the Barboursville Waffle House as a server and worked there until she began to experience medical issues on Dec. 28, 2022, and needed to be off work for approximately one week.
Prior to her medical event, the plaintiff had not missed extended periods of time from work and she had not been disciplined by Midwest Waffles — always meeting her employer's reasonable expectations, according to the suit.
Longerbeam claims on Dec. 28, 2022, who had previously been diagnosed as bipolar with depression and anxiety, began to experience mental and emotional issues that required her to be hospitalized.
"During her medical treatment, the Plaintiff called her employer to report her medical conditions and commitment to a medical facility for those issues," the complaint states. "More particularly, on January 3, 2023, the Plaintiff called store management personnel to report she had been previously admitted to an ICU facility and was currently receiving medical treatment, however, Plaintiff relayed she intended to return to work upon her release."
On Jan. 6, the plaintiff was cleared to return to work and informed Flora she would return, however, Flora relayed that her employment had been terminated because of her mental health issues and needed "to do what was best" for the plaintiff, according to the suit.
Longerbeam claims the defendants' actions violated the West Virginia Human Rights Act and caused her harm.
Longerbeam is seeking compensatory and punitive damages. She is represented by Nathan D. Brown of Ferrell & Brown in Williamson.
Wayne Circuit Court case number: 23-C-16