Settlement reached in Uniontown woman’s suit against Autotrader.com
A settlement has been reached in the federal suit between a Uniontown woman and her former employer who claimed she was wrongly terminated.
Late last week, U.S. District Judge Robert C. Mitchell filed an order, stating the civil suit filed by Serena Richter against Autotrader.com in March has been settled.
The suit stated that Richter was fired as retaliation for taking leave covered under the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA).
Richter, who had been working with the company as an advertising consultant since 2007, was involved in a fatal accident in North Union Township in 2011 that resulted in the death of 44-year-old Samuel E. McKnight of Dunbar.
She requested, and was granted, FMLA leave to recover from “serious physical and emotional injuries,” but her boss was persistent and pressured her about when she would return to work, she alleged in the lawsuit.
Efforts to work from home failed due to her injuries flaring up, leading to her boss and a company human resources manager to issue her a “final written warning,” though she had never been officially disciplined before.
According to the lawsuit, Richter successfully fought the written warning claims, and continued to perform “up to par.” In 2013, criminal charges were filed against her in Fayette County, associated with the fatal crash. That case was later dismissed.
Richter claims she immediately told her boss about the charges, and claims they were openly discussed among managers for several months. According to the lawsuit, Richter requested another FMLA leave due to ongoing medical problems.
Upon returning to the job in March 2014, Richter was terminated and the only explanation provided by Autotrader.com, Inc. officials was “the pendency of false criminal charges filed against her and her alleged failure to report them,” as listed in court papers.
Richter also claims she was terminated because of a disability and that the company withheld wages.
In Mitchell’s order, it states the only matter remaining is any settlement payment being finalized, if any, but the case is considered closed.
Late last month, U.S. District Judge Cathy Bissoon dismissed some of the counts in Richter’s federal lawsuit against the Pennsylvania State Police and former Fayette County District Attorney Jack Heneks over the collision.