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Posted on 03/11/2006 6:38:04 AM PST by Hillarys Gate Cult
SAN DIEGO ---- A Vista woman suing her former employer for allegedly firing her for having a bumper sticker on her car touting progressive talk radio made the rounds Friday on national and local radio shows.
During interviews Friday, Linda Laroca said her former employer later told her the comment about the firing was a joke, and asked her back to work.
Laroca, alongside her attorneys, made her first public comments about the suit during an appearance on the Stacy Taylor show on KLSD, 1360 AM, a local affiliate of the progressive talk-radio network, Air America.
Laroca also spoke later in the day on two syndicated programs: the nationwide Ed Schultz show (a part of the Jones network) and Air America's national Randi Rhodes show, with Sam Seder filling in as a substitute host Friday.
Laroca alleges in her suit that her former manager spotted the bumper sticker advertising Air America, told Laroca she could be a member of al-Qaida, and fired her on the spot.
Laroca said Friday that the woman, Beverly Fath, called Laroca the Monday after the weekend incident to ask Laroca why she was not at work.
Laroca said that when she told Fath that she had thought the former manager had fired her two days prior, Fath allegedly told her that the comments about the firing had been in jest.
Asked if she had mistaken her former manager's alleged comments, Laroca told the North County Times she didn't believe the woman had been joking.
"If she was, I didn't take it that way," Laroca said. "She wasn't smiling."
The North County Times has been unable to locate Fath for comment, and no one answered the door Friday at a home thought to be Fath's residence.
Laroca had worked for the company, Irvine-based Advantage Sales and Marketing Inc., about three weeks before the alleged incident occurred on Oct. 8 ---- Laroca's 52nd birthday.
A phone call to the company was received with a "no comment," and the attorney believed to be representing the company has not returned phone calls from the North County Times.
After the radio interviews Friday ---- including nearly an hour on Taylor's talk show, Laroca said she was surprised at the media attention her suit has attracted.
"Not one thing in my head could expect something like this," Laroca said.
After his show Friday morning, Taylor said Laroca's story struck a chord with his listeners, and the vast majority of his callers Friday wanted to talk about Laroca.
"The whole oppression of speech and expression has been a big theme of the show," Taylor said.
In her suit, filed Feb. 21, Laroca charges that Fath asked her to meet up in a grocery store parking lot on a Saturday to hand off some paperwork.
During that brief encounter, the lawsuit asserts, Fath allegedly pointed to the sticker ---- the only one on Laroca's small white convertible ---- and called it "that Al Franken left-wing radical radio station."
The nationwide syndicated radio programming from Air America, which describes itself as "progressive entertainment talk radio," features such show hosts as comedian and author Al Franken.
Laroca's suit claims that Fath also told the woman she could be a member of al-Qaida, then allegedly followed up with, "I am going to just have to fire you."
The conversation, Laroca said Friday, ended on that note.
Laroca said she got into to her car after the incident and sat stunned for a few minutes.
"I stewed about it for days," Laroca said, adding that she later decided to call an attorney to see if the case had merit.
Laroca said that after Fath told her the comments were in jest, the company later invited Laroca in writing to return to work or face losing her job. Laroca said she did not respond.
Laroca's suit is seeking lost wages and damages for wrongful termination for violations of both public policy and the state labor code. She is also claiming state constitutional violations and emotional distress.
The California labor code prohibits employers from controlling or directing the political activities of employees.
Contact staff writer Teri Figueroa at (760) 631-6624 or tfigueroa@nctimes.com.
Yup, I got it figured out now.
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Is this Air America's new way to get revenue? Have their listeners sue their employers, then contribute some of their winnings to Air America?
"I did the same thing.
I had a cleaning lady down in south Florida that showed up one day with "Hillary 08" and "Buck Fush" bumper stickers on her car.
I told her that I would not be needing her cleaning services any longer. She asked why. I told her because of them damn bumper stickers. She left.
No lawsuit so far."
That is a good example of how freedom works. Her freedom of speech, your freedom of association. But that is not how it works anymore.
A private company should be able to fire anyone they choose, for any reason they choose, any time they choose. It's called freedom. No one has a RIGHT to work at MY company or business.
But freedom is really gone in America. All that remains are the memories of what it was to be free. I can't imagine why men would want to continue owning and running business in America. They are persecuted at every turn. Better to just make some money, invest it offshore, and move to another country. Where there is some semblance of freedom. Where a man with a few dollars can still be a man.
I keep reading that America is the freest of all. That seems to be more and more just a nostalgic view, rather than a current reality. I have to wonder, free to do what? Free to be a slave to the government. Free from what? Free from those who would impose their will on him. No, freedom is just an illusion. All we are free to do in American now is to choose our masters.
America is in a free-fall. The freedom that we have now is like that of a man who has jumped off a building, who feels free from the bonds of gravity, but has not hit the bottom yet.
The effects of America hitting bottom will be apocalyptic. Our enemies know we are weak. While we are so busy trying to infringe on each others God given fundamental Constitutional rights, our enemies are planing our destruction.
Emboldened by our weakness, our enemies will come for us, and kill us by the 10's of thousands, as they have already attempted to do. And it will be our just deserts for being weak and foolish little men. Men too busy with their petty tyrannies, that they don't notice the enemies coming over the wall.
God have mercy on us.
North Carolina is a 'right to work' state. No one can force you to join a union, etc for a job.
It is also a 'right to fire' state. An employer can dismiss any employee without cause.
That just seems right to me.
"If she was joking, I didn't take it that way," Laroca said.
More evidence that liberals lack a sense of humor.
I'd certainly fire someone if I found out they were a rabid liberal.
I totally agree. Unfortunately, most Americans mistakenly think that Freedom of Speech is a government guarantee that they can say what they want, when they want, where they want.
What they don't understand is that the First Amendment only guarantees that the government cannot deny the people the right to express themselves. The government. Not a private employer or homeowner or place of business. Freedom of speech is limited to my discretion on my property or in my home. If I don't like what you say or the way you express yourself on my property, you're leaving, and if you don't leave, I'll introduce you to the Second Amendment.
Two other things:
1) The Bill of Rights does not give rights/freedom to anyone. It merely documents rights and freedom in the same way that a birth certificate doesn't give life but only documents it.
2) It seems odd that the people that scream the loudest about not being denied freedom of speech are the most avid endorsers of politically correct speech.
It would be nice to meet some kindred spirits down there.
Al means his next check will clear. The others are on their own.
Well stated.
Wow. The things that you have done with that picture are just awesome! I love that top segment! Very powerful!
In Madison, Wisconsin, it is illegal to tell a joke because you might offend someone who is miserable.
Snoopy's going to need some psychiatric care by the time you get done with him! Linus looks like he's already gone over the 'edge', lol!
I'm not sure that I agree... I have to admit that I agree with Nel Boortz, in that as long as AA's on the air, it blunts the call for reinstitution of the so called "fairness doctorine."
More importantly, as long as AA's acting as a money pit for leftists, I'd rather see them pump their dollars down that rat hole than try to do something more damaging to the country with it, like getting more leftists elected.
Mark
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Looks good devolve. Just think of all the "subliminal" things you can insert with Bubba!!
The whole page [yours] is very neat looking.
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