Fired liquor store worker calls out sexism and drinking on the job in NC lawsuit
A woman who worked at a North Carolina liquor store was fired for taking mini bottles of alcohol — something her male coworkers did often, she says in a lawsuit.
Terri Wall also claims there was drinking on the job and sexual harassment at the Alamance Municipal Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC) Board, which oversees liquor stores, according to the lawsuit filed last week in federal court.
Wall says she was a clerk for more than eight years before she lost her job in March. She was told it was because she took small liquor bottles to give away at a charity raffle, according to the lawsuit.
Store managers had “condoned” male coworkers taking the bottles for “personal use,” the lawsuit says.
One man also drank small bottles of Fireball whiskey and was intoxicated while at work, according to the court filing.
Larry Brooks, executive director of the Alamance Municipal Alcoholic Beverage Control Board, on Friday said he had no comment regarding the lawsuit.
The document further describes sexism and harassment Wall says she experienced at the workplace.
A male employee is accused of rubbing his groin near female workers and placing his hands around Wall’s hips “in a sexual manner,” the filing says.
Someone else took photos of customers he considered attractive, according to the lawsuit.
Also, Wall says some men were rehired after they sold alcohol to underage customers.
Men also were “allowed to gain experience” to move into higher job positions, an opportunity she wasn’t given, according to the lawsuit.
Wall is seeking damages for pay, “benefits, emotional pain” and other losses, according to the lawsuit that alleges sex discrimination, wrongful termination and retaliation.
The alcohol board meets in Graham, a city roughly 23 miles east of Greensboro.
This story was originally published October 4, 2019 at 1:46 PM.
