PRESS RELEASE: For Immediate Release
Contact: Caitlin Merrill, Director of Media Relations cmerrill@tullylegal.com
518.218.7100 (Office) 

Wal-Mart Sued After Store Refuses to Honor Employment Rights of Air Force Veteran

What: The Department of Justice has sued Wal-Mart Stores Inc. on behalf of a former airman, claiming the company didn’t give him his job back after he was discharged from the military. The lawsuit on behalf of Sean Thornton, a former airman with the United States Air Force, alleges Wal-Mart violated the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act (USERRA) by failing and refusing to reinstate him as a cashier at a Florida store after he was discharged. USERRA, enacted in 1994, requires that service members who leave their jobs to serve in the United States military be reemployed by their civilian employers in the same position that they would have held had they not left.

Who: Retired Navy reservist and former JAG attorney Captain Samuel F. Wright is available for independent expert commentary, analysis, and questions involving this case. Captain Wright is regarded as the founding father of USERRA. While an attorney for the U.S. Department of Labor, he largely drafted the document that became the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act. Members of the media may utilize Captain Wright’s knowledge and experience involving USERRA and the employment rights of U.S. military personnel.

When: Captain Wright is available via phone or in person at the firm’s Washington, DC office or in-studio at your convenience. Wright will be available as the story develops for ongoing commentary.

To arrange an opportunity to speak with Captain Samuel F. Wright, who serves as a Partner at Tully Rinckey PLLC, please contact the firm’s Media Director at 202-787-1900 or via email at cmerrill@tullylegal.com

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Tully Rinckey PLLC is dedicated to providing legal service in the areas of federal employment, discrimination, and military law to federal employees and military personnel throughout the nation. The team of attorneys, paralegals, and professionals has pioneered many landmark decisions handed down from the Federal Circuit Court of Appeals involving USERRA, EEOC and MSPB claims. The firm maintains a website at www.fedattorney.com with additional information about its attorneys, achievements, and news stories involving the firm’s work.