Federal Court Appoints Lawyer to Sue Employer Who Allegedly Fired Woman on Jury Duty
A federal court in Florida has appointed a lawyer to represent a woman who says she was fired by her employer for serving required jury duty.
Kadrya Reddick, who works as a truck driver, says Swift Transportation claimed she quit her job after she told the company she couldn’t pick up a truck for transport because she had been selected to serve on a jury in Orlando federal court for five days, the Orlando Sentinel reports.
Although she allegedly informed the company in advance of her situation, and kept in touch to explain what was going on, the company claimed in a termination notice that she quit Jan. 10 for marital, family or personal reasons.
Federal law protects employees from being fired under such circumstances, and claims of this nature are unusual. A court spokeswoman said Orange-Osceola Chief Judge Belvin Perry couldn’t remember another such claimed incident.
Reddick is seeking reinstatement, lost wages and attorney’s fees in the suit. She also is asking the court to impose a $5,000 fine on Swift Transportation.
The company declined to comment when contacted by the newspaper.
