Dead twins case: Ex-manager of Casey's sues, alleges firing was in retaliation

[Omaha Steve]

Source: Omaha World Herald-AP

IOWA CITY (AP) — A convenience store chain fired an Iowa manager shortly after her report to police led to the arrest of an employee who killed her newborn twins, a new lawsuit contends.

Teresa Anderson alleges in the lawsuit that Casey's General Store Inc. fired her in retaliation for prompting the investigation that led to the discovery of the dead babies in the trunk of Jackie Burkle's car in January 2012.

Anderson said Friday that her bosses told her not to call police, repeatedly said Burkle's case “was not a Casey's issue,” reprimanded her while she was grieving over the twins' deaths and fired her after she returned from stress leave.

“For a company to treat people like this, especially a huge corporation, is not OK,” Anderson said. “And if somebody doesn't stand up, then it just continues.”

FULL story at link.


Read more: http://www.omaha.com/article/20131221/NEWS/131229763/1707#dead-twins-case-ex-manager-of-casey-s-sues-alleges-firing-was-in-retaliation

[Mopar151]

1. WTF?

Wotta buncha shitheels....

[truthisfreedom]

2. Jeepers.

Somebody's about to get a little more national attention than they expected.

[IdaBriggs]

3. Absolute definition of BAD COMMUNITY MEMBERS.

What a horrible story. That restaurant needs to get new owners!

[madrchsod]

4. she`ll find another job....

casey`s is another part time low wage employer who gives the illusion of a great place to work. when ever i stop at casey`s there is always someone new working there.

i admire her standing up to casey`s and i hope she finds a better job.

[RVN VET]

5. I need more information. As reported, this doesn't pass the smell test.

I know people can suck and suck bad. But this just doesn't sound right. She was told not to report a possible infant-murder because it didn't involve her job? What? Why in hell would any manager -- even a cold blooded one -- think to do that? It just doesn't make sense. What would the store lose by her calling in the police? Was the manager tight with the murderous mother and looking to protect her from the consequences of her horrible crime?

If there was an attempt to prevent her from calling in, then somebody's got to go to jail for real. I just don't get what the store owner would gain in all this.

But I do get how a very distraught mother of twins could be driven to the edge just knowing that a woman had actually murdered her own babies. And I can see how her place of work might have been so insensitive to her emotional crash after discovering the crime that they would begrudge her some time off to recover and then fire her rather than excuse a few minor screw ups on the job.

And it seems probable that the store owner -- or upper management, or whatever -- is a dick who needs to be exposed as such. I just don't see how or why that dick would have wanted to cover up a double murder.

[loudsue]

6. Aren't you supposed to report a major crime if you know about it?

If not, aren't you part of a cover up?

[Dan]

8. The term is

I think, Misprison of a felony

[24601]

10. I believe Misprison requires a fairly high degree of specific knowledge. We just had a high-profile

case in Tampa where a woman was convicted for not warning police that her felon boyfriend was armed and he killed two officers during a traffic stop. The federal judge threw out the charge the 1st time around but was reversed by the appeals court. It barely squeaked-by.

Still, don't understand at all how employing a woman who killed her children is not a company matter of the highest concern.

Casey's has a website with an app to email the CEO. http://www.caseys.com/contact_us

[NBachers]

11. I contacted them. Here's my comment:

"It's unconscionable how you've treated Teresa Anderson for reporting the crimes of Jackie Burkle, a Casey's employee who murdered her twin babies.

Casey's should be ashamed. National attention is focused on you, in a very negative way.

Charlotte Miller & Dan Gross should be fired, not Teresa Anderson.

Charlotte Miller, Dan Gross, and the Casey's management structure have given Casey's a black eye. Casey's will forever be known throughout America as the corporation that covered up the murder of twin babies.

I support Teresa Anderson. I hope she wins a huge settlement. Fire Miller & Gross."

To make a comment, you need to specify, in a field, which Huxley store you're referring to. There are two of them. I just put Huxley, Iowa in the field, and randomly chose the one on 104 N HWY 69, HUXLEY IA. I've done some looking, but I can't determine which store Teresa Anderson worked at. But the comment will reach Casey's. I filled out my name and email address.

After submitting, the following message appeared:

Contact Casey's

Dear Customer,

We want to do an even better job of servicing you. Please take a moment to tell me how you feel about Casey's.
I'll personally review your comments.

Robert J. Myers, President & CEO

ALSO- I have contacted Jill Zwagerman, the attorney who is defending Teresa Anderson. Jill looks like an absolutely wonderful attorney; she takes on employee abuse cases. Her web page: http://www.eastvillagecivilrights.com/about_us/jill_zwagerman.php

Here's my email to Jill Zwagerman:

"Dear Ms. Zwagerman,

I live in San Francisco, California. Today, I have read about your client Teresa Anderson and Casey's General Stores.

I support Teresa Anderson and I admire you for your advocacy work and defense of Teresa.

I have sent the following message to Casey's, by way of their online Contact Us form:

Same message as above

You are welcome to share this email of support with Teresa, if you'd like.

You are also welcome to view the thread where I found out about this case. It is located on Democratic Underground: http://www.democraticunderground.com/1014679307

Once again, thank you for your defense of Teresa Anderson, and your efforts in all the cases you take on."

Jill Zwagerman can be contacted at: [e-mail]

[mopinko]

9. perhaps the dick is the dick in question.

who's the daddy?

[niyad]

7. "too emotional, and too maternal"-- wow

She said she asked Casey's district manager Dan Gross whether she could hold a meeting to inform employees of the situation and offer support. According to the lawsuit, Gross told her she couldn't, called her “too emotional and too maternal”

[mercuryblues]

12. yeah

one would think a company would prefer a woman that is too maternal, over protecting one that committed infanticide.

They should forever be known as a company that is fine with infanticide.