Woman Fired for Air America Bumper Sticker

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Woman Fired for Air America Bumper Sticker

Posted by Eric Jaffa

Thursday March 09th 2006, 7:55 am

Filed under: Courts, Radio

 

In San Diego County in California, a woman has filed a lawsuit

claiming she was fired by Advantage Sales and Marketing, Inc. for the

radio-station bumper sticker on her car.

 

[Linda] Laroca, who was hired by the company as a sales

representative, is seeking lost wages and damages for wrongful

termination for violations of both public policy and the state labor

code. She is also claiming state constitutional violations and

emotional distress.

 

The California labor code prohibits employers from controlling or

directing the political activities of employees.

 

According to Laroca's suit, the bumper sticker in question read

only: " 1360 Air America Progressive Talk Radio. "

 

The nationwide syndicated radio programming from left-wing Air

America, which describes itself as " progressive entertainment talk

radio " features show hosts such as comedian and author Al Franken. The

network programming is carried locally by radio station KLSD 1360 AM.

 

…Laroca asserts that on Oct. 8, [2005] three weeks after she

started working for the marketing company, [beverly] Fath called her

on a Saturday and requested they meet at a nearby grocery store

parking lot so Laroca could pass on some documents Fath needed.

 

During the brief encounter, Laroca charges, the manager pointed to

the bumper sticker —- the only one on Laroca's car —- and remarked

that it was a new sticker and called it " that Al Franken left-wing

radical radio station. "

 

Laroca alleges in her suit that Fath then told her, " The country

is on a high state of alert. For all I know, you could be al-Qaida. "

 

A stunned Laroca laughed nervously at the statement, the suit

alleges, and then was dealt " the final blow " when Fath fired her on

the spot.

 

This type of incident is one of many reasons why I oppose a proposal

by Senator Mike DeWine (R-OH) to let the the White House write its own

(secret?) list of terrorist organizations, under which suspected

members can be wiretapped without warrants. I don't trust that the

White House would cast a narrow net.

 

This isn't the first or last incident of dissent and terrorism being

conflated.

 

Deputy White House Chief of Staff Karl Rove said that " Liberals saw

the savagery of the 9/11 attacks and wanted to prepare indictments and

offer therapy. " The White House supported that remark.

 

The Denver, Colorado police have labelled the Quakers' American

Friends Service Committee as " criminal extremists. "

 

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