Utah company sued by federal attorneys after wrongful termination of enlisted man.
Salt Lake City, UT(JusticeNewFlash.com)–A former Ogden company and its owner found themselves named in a federal lawsuit in a Utah court. Lawyers for the U.S. Department of Justice filed a legal action against company, Synapse Data and Telecom Inc., and the corporation owner, Matthew Mossbarger, charging the business violated the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act (USERRA).
According to court documents filed by veterans’ rights attorneys for the government, Jose A. Ortega, the former employee of Synapse Data, was fired after he enlisted in the Utah National Guard in April 2008. Federal court litigation papers claim Ortega refused to withdraw from military service when asked by Mossbarger and was promptly fired. Mossbarger asserts he lost investors when Ortega, his only employee, left for basic training. The company claims attorneys advised them firing Ortega would not violate USERRA. Under federal and state employment rights laws, company leaders, owners, and managers cannot fire workers for fufilling their military service obligations.
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