TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (Legal Newsline) — A Subway restaurant worker alleges she was fired in retaliation for refusing to serve customers in a rat-infested store.
Keysharra Gaines filed a complaint April 27 in the Leon County Circuit Court against Subway 3883 LLC alleging violation of the Florida Private Whistleblower Act and retaliation.
Gaines, according to her complaint, was employed at a Subway restaurant from August 2022 until December 2022. She claims the restaurant had a rat infestation in November of 2022. She alleges that she and other employees could hear rats in the ceiling and in December of 2022, a large rat was in the store which caused her to jump on a table to avoid the rodent, a co-worker to leave the store and for the store to be closed.
She further alleges that after informing the general manager, she was told she would be replaced if she was afraid of rats. Gaines claims she locked up the restaurant and quit her job. She also claims she was fired in retaliation for objecting and refusing to continue to serve food while rodents were inside the restaurant.
Gaines seeks monetary relief of more than $50,000, interest, trial by jury and all other just relief. She is represented by Tiffany Cruz and Kevin Kostelnik of The Cruz Law Firm PA in Tallahassee.
Leon County Circuit Court case number 2023-A-0011432