Woman claims she was fired after work comp claim

A 51-year-old Troy woman has filed suit against the photo studio for which she used to work, alleging she was demoted and eventually fired after she filed for workers' compensation benefits.

Pam Good claims she was working for defendant CPI Incorporated on Dec. 22, 2008, when she suffered a fall while working at the studio in St. Ann, Mo.

Because of her fall, Good sustained a serious injury to her ankle, requiring her to take nearly one year off from work, according to the complaint filed June 23 in Madison County Circuit Court. During this alleged ordeal, Good filed a claim for workers' compensation, the suit states.

When Good returned to work in November 2009, she was demoted from studio manager to associate, the suit states. In addition, she claims she faced a change in her work environment.

"Her employer began a series of harassing actions, nitpicking and criticizing Plaintiff for every item of work she had undertaken and citing her for various rule infractions," the suit states. "Plaintiff had a history of working satisfactorily for the company for 20 some years. The supervisor wrote her up for not doing her sales process correctly on December 3, 2009. The supervisor denied the Plaintiff time off on Sunday to observe religious services."

Finally, on Jan. 22, 2010, the studio manager of the Edwardsville studio fired Good, citing inappropriate alleged remarks she made to him, according to the complaint. However, Good claims the real reason for her demotion and termination was because she filed a workers' compensation claim and because of age and sex discrimination.

Because of her discharge, Good lost wages and benefits and suffered great emotional distress, the complaint says.

Good alleges discrimination, intentional infliction of emotional distress and retaliatory discharge against the defendants.

In her three-count suit, Good is seeking a judgment of more than $300,000, plus punitive damages of more than $100,000.

She will be represented by Greg Roosevelt of Roosevelt Law Office in Edwardsville.

Madison County Circuit Court case number: 11-L-614.