Magic Johnson Fires 7-Minute-Late Flight Attendant

November 1st, 2012 by JBWK

ABC News reports that Magic Johnson’s former flight attendant on his private jet sued him alleging a host of employment violations.

She claims that her firing–for showing up 7 minutes late after being stuck at a deli trying to find two specific types of turkey Magic Johnson required on his plane–was a pretext for age discrimination. A younger female replaced her immediately.

The claim, which has probably caused the flight attendant more harm than her firing, alleges that she was paid $100,000 a year to work aboard the private jet, performing vital tasks such as squeezing licorice to make sure it stayed soft.

But the underlying claim brings up an important point: If her firing wasn’t a pretext for her age, it was perfectly legal (at least in Virginia). Employers remain free to fire anyone for any reason, as long as it’s not illegal. So if you want to fire an employee for being 7 minutes late, feel free. Even if they were picking up your lunch.

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