RIPLEY – A former Star Plastics employee says she was the victim of age discrimination, wrongful termination and retaliation.
Tara Chambers filed her complaint May 12 in Jackson Circuit Court against Star Plastics, which operates a business in Millwood. The company is a compounder of engineering-grade thermoplastics. It’s headquartered in Ravenswood and has facilities around the world.
According to the complaint, Chambers began working for Star Plastics in 2002. Her last job with the company was in sales, and she says she always performed her duties in a satisfactory manner. So much so that Star asked her to sign a non-compete and non-solicitation agreement after firing her.
Chambers was 52 at the time of her firing on January 2, 2025. After the termination, she says Star Plastics claimed she was insubordinate. She calls that a pretext for discrimination based on her age. She says the discrimination had been taking place for at least two years before she was fired.
She says individuals substantially younger than her that the company said committed insubordination but were not fired. Instead of remedying the age-based discrimination, Chambers says Star Plastics retaliated against her for reporting the harassment.
Chambers also says she never was placed on a Performance Improvement Plan before her firing, and she says younger employees assumed her job duties.
She says the discrimination included unreasonable interference with her work performance that created an intimidating, hostile and offensive working environment. She says Star Plastics and its employees tolerated, condoned and aided and abetted the age discrimination against her.
Chambers says she was not given a reason for her termination, and she had taken vacation in the week before she was fired. She also says she was making about $155,000 per year plus benefits when she was fired.
She also says she won her unemployment benefits claim with WorkForce West Virginia in which she alleged she was fired because of her age and that Star Plastics did not present any evidence she committed any misconduct.
Chambers says she was fired by David Dobbs, who was not involved in her hiring. She says he had only been her supervisor for less than three months and employed with the company for less than six months. She says Dobbs had demoted her because of her age.
She says Star Plastics offered her about $47,000 in a confidential settlement agreement and general release of claims, which include a release of claims for age discrimination.
Chambers says she has suffered lost wages and benefits, out-of-pocket losses, emotional and mental distress, humiliation, anxiety, embarrassment, depression, aggravation, annoyance and inconvenience.
She accuses Star Plastics of violating the West Virginia Human Rights Act and violating substantial public policy.
Chambers seeks compensatory damages, punitive damages, court costs, attorney fees, pre- and post-judgment interests and other relief.
She is being represented by John Einreinhofer of South Charleston and by Bernard E. Layne III of Mani Layne & Ellis in Charleston.
Jackson Circuit Court case number 25-C-38