She reported a knife-waving coworker – then Circle K fired her, suit alleges

The complaint alleges the worker again raised her safety concerns. The manager then asked whether she believed the coworker would “come to the store and kill her,” the filing states. When the worker said she believed it was possible given what had occurred, the manager told her she would “cut off all communication” and eventually sent her home, according to the complaint.

The worker went to the police department and filed a report that day, the complaint states. She also contacted the company’s ethics hotline.

For the next eight days, according to the filing, the worker waited to hear about her job and a possible transfer. When she reached a district leader on or about May 22, she was told hours later that she had been terminated, the complaint alleges.

The company’s system showed the termination backdated to May 14 – the same day the store manager sent her home, according to the filing. The stated reason was that the worker had been a no-call, no-show for five days, including weekend days. The worker disputes this, alleging she had been told by the store manager to go home and was waiting for follow-up. She says she had not regularly worked weekends during her month of employment.

The complaint adds another layer. The worker alleges she later confirmed that the male coworker had a personal relationship with the store manager’s husband, who was himself a store manager involved in hiring and firing. The filing contends this relationship was relevant to the favorable treatment the coworker received after her complaints – and to the way those complaints were handled.