HARRISBURG – A man is suing his employer after he was allegedly terminated from his job of nearly 30 years, claiming it was due to taking medical leave.
James Woodring filed a complaint on Dec. 28 in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania against Dart Container Corp. of Pennsylvania, also known as the Dart Container Corp., and Corrine Pinto, claiming retaliation due to leave he took under the Family and Medical Leave Act.
According to the complaint, Woodring began his employment with the defendant in 1988 and received a promotion to the position of production manager. The defendant allowed 12 weeks of FMLA-approved time, which Woodring took at various times to recover from gout, the complaint states. In March his condition allegedly worsened, after receiving a 2 percent raise. When he missed two and a half days of work in June because of his condition, the defendant retaliated against him, he claims. The defendant purportedly refused to accommodate Woodring's needs, which he claims resulted in the exacerbation and complications in his condition. The plaintiff claims that Pinto, the human resources manager, gave him a yellow slip for violating rules on Aug. 12 when his daughter helped him into the office. He was later terminated on Aug. 19, according to the complaint.
Woodring seeks damages for lost wages and the cost of the suit. He is represented by Lisa Matukaitis of Matukaitis Law LLC in Harrisburg.
U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania Case number 1:15-CV-02481