Lawsuit: New Jersey company illegally fired employee for farting too much

Sometimes a company is forced to enact job cuts. But should anyone be cut for cutting the cheese?

The News Courier reports a New Jersey woman is suing her husband’s former employer, a “pork roll” manufacturer, claiming that he was let go for passing too much gas.

Louann and Rich Clem both worked at Case Pork Roll Co. of Trenton, N.J., when complications from Rich’s gastric bypass surgery “overpowered the aroma of their company’s processed meat product,” according to The News Courier. The lawsuit claims Rich was sent home because of the smell, and eventually fired over it.

Case Pork Roll Co. owner Tom Grieb denied the accusations, and told The News Courier neither of the Clems were fired, but that they quit rather than accept pay cuts because of poor business.

There are a few other reported instances of employees getting in trouble for being a bit too free to pass wind. A Social Security Administration employee was formally reprimanded in 2012 for excessive flatulence. The complaint against the person cited 17 dates and 60 specific instances of passing gas in the office. And who can forget that earlier this year Denver Broncos linebacker Von Miller complained to The Denver Post reporter Nicki Jhabvala about being fined by his team for farting during meetings.

“It’s NOT healthy. I keep trying to tell them it’s not healthy if I just sit there and hold it in. Nobody in the world does that,” Miller told the Post.

Sounds like Miller is just the witness the Clems are looking for in their lawsuit.