Saturday, December 8, 2001
The woman alleged a meat-processing company had employed illegal aliens.
LISBON -- A Beloit woman is suing a Salem business for more than $10 million, alleging that the enterprise fired her for reporting what she thought were illegal activities.
Cindy Grove of 27974 Buck Road filed the suit in Columbiana County Common Pleas Court against Carriage Hill Foods, a meat processing company at 1735 S. Lincoln Ave., Salem.
Carriage Hill officials were unavailable to comment.
Grove said she was hired at Carriage Hill in August 2000 as a human resources administrator.
According to the lawsuit, Grove alleged that in January she discovered the company was falsifying records and counterfeiting Social Security cards for the purpose of employing illegal aliens.
Grove said she told her supervisor about the conduct, but the company failed to correct it within 24 hours after being notified by her, the lawsuit states.
Consequently, Grove said, she reported the matter to the U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service. Grove said in the lawsuit she was fired Oct. 29 in retaliation for her going to the INS.
She is asking for a jury trial, compensatory damages of more than $25,000 and punitive damages of $10 million.
Grove is being represented by attorneys George Kafantaris and Michael Rossi of Warren.