Man fired for drinking wrong beer?
A long running dispute between a former employee and his employer looks likely to reach a court hearing in the near future. The attorney for American Eagle Distributing Co., which distributes Budweiser, said that the company fired Ross Hopkins, 41, for his disparaging remarks made about the company in uniform at a bar. Hopkins claims that the reason for his dismissal was that he was drinking a Coors.
"We expect it to go trial," said Jeff Bedingfield, the attorney representing American Eagle. "American Eagle believes it needs to defend itself and that this is a lawsuit without merit."
"I'm willing to fight that battle," Hopkins said. "I'm looking forward to it because what they did was terribly wrong. They know it. I know it, but they're not willing to admit it. They want to save face and go on."
He said the company has changed its story from initial claims that he was "bad-mouthing the company" to that he was "bad-mouthing the company in uniform" and to the latest, that he was "bad-mouthing the company in uniform and drunk."
He angrily denies that he was wearing his uniform the night of the incident. He likened his uniform to a candy-striper with red and black pinstripes, a Budweiser logo on the pocket and an American flag on the sleeve.
"You kind of look geeky wearing that thing in public," Hopkins said. "Why would I wear that?"
A trial date has not yet been set. American Eagle Distributing Co. will be ready, Bedingfield said.
"We expect it to go trial," said Jeff Bedingfield, the attorney representing American Eagle. "American Eagle believes it needs to defend itself and that this is a lawsuit without merit."
"I'm willing to fight that battle," Hopkins said. "I'm looking forward to it because what they did was terribly wrong. They know it. I know it, but they're not willing to admit it. They want to save face and go on."
He said the company has changed its story from initial claims that he was "bad-mouthing the company" to that he was "bad-mouthing the company in uniform" and to the latest, that he was "bad-mouthing the company in uniform and drunk."
He angrily denies that he was wearing his uniform the night of the incident. He likened his uniform to a candy-striper with red and black pinstripes, a Budweiser logo on the pocket and an American flag on the sleeve.
"You kind of look geeky wearing that thing in public," Hopkins said. "Why would I wear that?"
A trial date has not yet been set. American Eagle Distributing Co. will be ready, Bedingfield said.
posted by Hugh Harris-Evans at 9:45 AM
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