San Diego woman says she was fired for having an Air America bumper sticker

Get your news from a source that’s not owned and controlled by oligarchs. Sign up for the free Mother Jones Daily.


Linda Laroca has filed suit against her former manager, Beverly Fath, and her former company, Advantage Sales and Marketing, Inc. because, she says, she was fired because of a bumper sticker. According to Laroca, Fath saw her 1360 Air America Talk Radio bumper sticker and called it “that Al Franken left-wing radical radio station.” Laroca says Fath then told her: “The country is on a high state of alert. For all I know, you could be al-Quaida,” and then fired her.

California’s labor law prohibits employers from controlling or directing their employees’ political activities. Laroca is seeking lost wages and damages not only for violation of the state labor law, but also for wrongful termination, emotional distress, and violation of the state constitution.

DECEMBER IS MAKE OR BREAK

A full one-third of our annual fundraising comes in this month alone. That’s risky, because a strong December means our newsroom is on the beat and reporting at full strength—but a weak one means budget cuts and hard choices ahead.

The December 31 deadline is closing in fast. To reach our $400,000 goal, we need readers who’ve never given before to join the ranks of MoJo donors. And we need our steadfast supporters to give again—any amount today.

Managing an independent, nonprofit newsroom is staggeringly hard. There’s no cushion in our budget—no backup revenue, no corporate safety net. We can’t afford to fall short, and we can’t rely on corporations or deep-pocketed interests to fund the fierce, investigative journalism Mother Jones exists to do.

That’s why we need you right now. Please chip in to help close the gap.

DECEMBER IS MAKE OR BREAK

A full one-third of our annual fundraising comes in this month alone. That’s risky, because a strong December means our newsroom is on the beat and reporting at full strength—but a weak one means budget cuts and hard choices ahead.

The December 31 deadline is closing in fast. To reach our $400,000 goal, we need readers who’ve never given before to join the ranks of MoJo donors. And we need our steadfast supporters to give again—any amount today.

Managing an independent, nonprofit newsroom is staggeringly hard. There’s no cushion in our budget—no backup revenue, no corporate safety net. We can’t afford to fall short, and we can’t rely on corporations or deep-pocketed interests to fund the fierce, investigative journalism Mother Jones exists to do.

That’s why we need you right now. Please chip in to help close the gap.

We Recommend

Latest

Sign up for our free newsletter

Subscribe to the Mother Jones Daily to have our top stories delivered directly to your inbox.

Get our award-winning magazine

Save big on a full year of investigations, ideas, and insights.

Subscribe

Support our journalism

Help Mother Jones' reporters dig deep with a tax-deductible donation.

Donate