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Home > Blogs > Greene County News > Archives > 2009 > November > 13 > Entry
Lawsuit: self-defense led to firing
XENIA — A Waynesville man, employed by Bob Evans for 30 years, is suing the restaurateur because he claims he was fired for defending himself when a coworker came after him with a knife.
Jesse L. Long, of Rivers Edge Court in Waynesville, filed a civil suit Nov. 12 against Bob Evans Farms in Greene County Common Pleas Court alleging wrongful termination and negligence and requesting more than $75,000 in damages.
Long, a manager for the restaurant since 1978, disciplined an employee in October 2008 for being late to work at the Xenia restaurant. Long later called the same employee into his office after he overhead him saying “he was not afraid” of Long and he “wasn’t his daddy,” according to the lawsuit.
The employee drew a knife and chased Long around the restaurant until the manager was able to obtain a knife of his own to defend himself, the lawsuit said. Other employees intervened before the altercation went further and there is no record of any criminal charges being filed.
Long was terminated four days after the incident for picking up the knife in self defense, the suit said. He claims Bob Evans corporate policy forced him to chose between his job and his safety. The suit also claims Bob Evans knew the employee who attacked Long had a tendency for violence.
A Bob Evans representative said she was not aware of the suit. Long’s attorney did not return a call seeking comment.
