Whistleblower Lawsuit Filed Against Oklahoma Convenience Store Chain

The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration has filed a complaint in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Oklahoma alleging that Shawnee, Okla.-based Modern Oil Co. Inc., doing business as Kwick Stop Convenience Stores, illegally terminated an employee because of complaints about workplace safety issues.

The worker filed a whistleblower complaint with OSHA alleging retaliation in violation of Section 11(c) of the Occupational Safety and Health Act, which prohibits discharge or other retaliation against workers for filing a safety or health complaint, or for exercising a wide range of other rights afforded to them by the act.

OSHA whistleblower investigators found that an employee was fired after complaining about the safety hazards at the Kwick Stop convenience store in Shawnee. In addition to back pay and reinstatement, the Labor Department is seeking compensatory and punitive damages for the employee.

Modern Oil is comprised of approximately 30 gas station/convenience stores in the Shawnee area. The company employs approximately 300 employees.

Source: OSHA