Before the November 6 elections, companies around the country were sending memos to employees threatening them that if President Obama was re-elected employees would lose their jobs.
Apparently, one Ohio Company took that to heart.
Patricia Kunkle of Kettering, Ohio, a suburb of Dayton, Ohio, has claimed that she was fired from her job because she voted for Obama. According to the Dayton Daily News, Kunkle is suing Q-Mark Inc., a Dayton-based defense contractor, and its president, Roberta "Bobble" Gentile, for $25,000.
The lawsuit against Q-Mark and its president claims that Gentile threatened employees with termination if Obama won re-election and employees who supported Obama would be the first to be let go if he was re-elected. Obama wound up winning his re-election bid by a clear majority and now, Kunkle is claiming that Q-Mark is following through on its threat.
Kunkle told the Daily News that her voting preferences came up in a conversation the day after the election and two days later, she was let go, with Gentile claiming that her firing was in the "best interest of the company.
Kunkle's attorney, Karen Dunleavy, told the Dayton Daily News:
Whether you're a Democrat or a Republican, taking it to the extreme of impairing somebody's career because they disagree with your political choices is just wrong. We're hoping that the court will recognize that and adopt a public policy exception for her.
As expected, Gentile is disputing the lawsuit. Gentile's attorney, Brian Wildermuth, told the Daily News that the lawsuit lacks a sound premise. He wrote a statement to the Daily News, saying:
Ms. Kunke was laid off for economic reasons- nothing more. I am sure you and your readers are familiar with the ongoing uncertainties regarding defense spending, and thus the economic environment confronting defense contracts. The allegation that Q-Mark discharged Ms. Kunkle because of her vote is simply false.
The case is suppose to be heard in the Montgomery County circuit court in mid-march.
Stay tuned.
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