Woman reported unsafe chemical mixing practices
A former cake decorator at the Cold Stone Creamery on High Street said she was fired four days after she blew the whistle on unsafe mixing of chemicals used for cleaning in a lawsuit against the business and its owner.
Charlee Enos was “involuntarily terminated” Feb. 18, 2019, after she reported “highly dangerous” working conditions, according to the suit, which was filed in Monongalia County Circuit Court on Thursday.
Enos alleges that after defendants Amr Eleish and his company, AK Trade LLC, took over ownership of the High Street Cold Stone in October 2018, there was a “substantial change in food and safety protocol” compared to that of the previous owners, and safety was being sacrificed to save money.
On Friday, an employee of Cold Stone told The Dominion Post that Eleish was “in another time zone” for a week. He could not be reached in time for this report.
Enos told Eleish that the current cleaning protocol at the store was placing workers and customers at “serious risk.” According to the suit, employees were trained to mix chemicals with products containing bleach, which is “highly dangerous.”
Practices were not changed and Enos contacted what she believed was Cold Stone’s corporate office Feb. 14, 2019.
The suit said Enos spoke with Scott, who she believed to be in charge of the district the High Street store is in, about her safety concerns and asked her identity be kept confidential because she was afraid of losing her job.
Enos was relieved when Scott said her name would be confidential and someone named Lori would visit the store soon, the suit said. But, her relief became shock when she was fired four days later.
The suit seeks general damages, lost wages, punitive damages, interest and attorneys’ fees. Enos is not seeking reinstatement.
Tweet @WillDean_DP
