Lawsuit: Florida think-tank fired worker over military duty

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – A former employee of a Tallahassee conservative think-tank says he was fired because he had to spend time on military duty with the U.S. Air Force Reserve.

Christopher Ricardo filed a federal lawsuit last week against The James Madison Institute. Ricardo’s lawsuit says he worked at the institute from September 2016 until August 2017 as director of donor relations.

The lawsuit asserts officials at the James Madison Institute fired Ricardo in August 2017, shortly after he had returned from his required annual deployment. Upon his return he says he told institute officials he would have to serve a six-month deployment in 2019. He alleges he was fired the following week.

Logan Elizabeth Padgett, a spokeswoman for the institute, called the lawsuit a “meritless accusation by a disgruntled employee.”