KMAX: News of the West

Company's firing of activated Marine reservist triggers dispute

By GAIL SCHILLER
Associated Press Writer

LOS ANGELES (AP) A Marine reservist serving in Iraq was wrongly fired from his civilian job at Hyundai Motor America after he was called to duty, his wife and attorney claimed Monday.

But Hyundai Motor America said Sgt. Clifford E. Moffitt, 35, of Irvine, was fired because of numerous instances of ``extreme sexual harrassment'' that came to light after he left for active duty.

Attorney Gloria Allred told a press conference that Hyundai Motor America gave Moffitt no reason for his termination and the reservist did not believe there was any good cause for the firing.

Allred took no legal action, but released a letter to Hyundai Motor America President and Chief Executive Finbarr O'Neill in which she said the firing ``flies in the face of federal and state laws that protect members of the armed services from termination while on active duty.''

In a statement released in response to the charges, O'Neill said, ``The details of this situation have been completely misrepresented.... Mr. Moffitt was terminated after a thorough legal investigation which confirmed that he was responsible for numerous instances of extreme sexual harrasment involving multiple employee victims.''

Moffitt, a member of the Marines' 4th Force Reconnaissance unit, was a national manager of collections for Hyundai Motor Finance, a sister company of Hyundai Motor America, for the past four years.

Moffitt's pregnant wife Shari, 33, who also works for the company, said her husband received assurances that his salary and benefits would continue while he was away.

``Instead he was sent a letter from Hyundai and received it on the battlefield, advising him that Hyundai had decided to terminate his employment only two months after he had left,'' she said in a statement.

Regardless of any reason that Hyundai may claim to justify the firing, Moffitt ``has been denied the fundamental right to give his side of the story,'' Allred said.

After Hyundai responded to Allred's news conference, she issued a statement saying her position was unchanged. ``Giving a pink slip to a Marine who may be in the red zone of war is in our opinion an unforgivable act. Semper fi,'' she said.

O'Neill said the company ``is extremely supportive of our American troops serving in Iraq and we honor employment agreements with all individuals who are called into service for our country.''

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