Newspaper & Mailroom

SmallTownPapers, Inc. Responds to Justice Department

Monday 25. August 2008 - Enforcing Employment Rights of Air Force Reservist

SmallTownPapers president and founder Paul Jeffko today responded to a Justice Department lawsuit filed against his company for the wrongful termination of a military employee. Jeffko said the Justice Department complaint is inaccurate and misrepresents the circumstances surrounding Frank Bonnin’s voluntary departure from SmallTownPapers in 2006.
In a press release distributed on Friday, the Justice Department revealed it is suing SmallTownPapers, Inc. for violating the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act of 1994 (USERRA) by terminating Frank Bonnin, an Air Force Reservist, because of his military obligation to attend active duty training. The complaint alleges Bonnin was terminated after he informed his manager that he had received orders to attend five weeks of active duty training.
“Frank Bonnin was not terminated by SmallTownPapers — he informed us, prior to his five week military training event, that he was leaving our company immediately to pursue other business interests with another former employee,” said Paul Jeffko, president of SmallTownPapers, Inc. “His voluntary departure simply had nothing at all to do with his military training but rather with a personal decision to work elsewhere.”
During his six year association with the company, SmallTownPapers was completely supportive of Bonnin’s military service beyond what is required by law. As an employee, each time he left for military training exercises, SmallTownPapers chose to pay him his full salary even when this start-up company was struggling financially. Support of Bonnin’s service went beyond his pay to include encouragement of continuing education and reserve advancement opportunities, the writing of a recommendation letter for his commission and SmallTownPapers’ attendance of reservist functions. The company is among those named as a five star Guard and Reservist Supporter by ESGR (Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve).
“The training referenced in the complaint was supplemental training for a promotion which I repeatedly encouraged Frank to pursue,” said Jeffko. “It happened that prior to the scheduled military training; Bonnin became disgruntled that the company hired an outside executive to oversee all external relationships. Frank felt he should have been offered that position and subsequently informed me he was resigning to pursue a new business opportunity. Months later, he returned demanding that he be rehired.”
SmallTownPapers has cooperated fully with the Justice Department inquiry and Bonnin’s attorneys but notes that Bonnin’s lawyers have refused to discuss efforts to amicably resolve the issue.