ST. LOUIS — A Jefferson County office manager is suing several organizations, citing alleged wrongful termination.
Julie Zouglas filed a complaint Aug. 25 in the St. Louis 22nd Judicial Circuit Court against Local No. 6 Stagehand Union of the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees, Moving Picture Technicians, Artists and Allied Crafts of the United States and Canada, AFL-CIO, CLC and Joseph Rudd, alleging that the defendants failed their duty to protect the employees' right to report people of authority committing acts of unlawful conduct.
According to the complaint, the plaintiff alleges that on Nov. 30, 2016, she worked for defendant Local No. 6 for 20 years until she was terminated for reporting an employee to management and persons of authority of misappropriating union money, possessing and using a controlled substance at the union hall. As a result, Zouglas claims she lost wages and benefits and it harmed her professional reputation.
The plaintiff alleges the defendants failed to take proper action in reprimanding employees doing unlawful acts during the course of employment, failed to protect employees who exposed employees engaging in misconduct and failed to conduct reviews before terminating an employee.
The plaintiff requests a trial by jury and seeks to award of full compensation for damages incurred, together with costs and interest as provided by law and for other relief as the court deems proper. She is represented by Lynette M. Petruska and Steven R. Kratky of Pleban & Petruska Law LLC in St. Louis.
St. Louis 22nd Judicial Circuit Court case number 1722-CC11152