Coker v. Wal-mart

U.S.D.C., Northern District of Mississippi, Delta Division

Cause No, 2:09-cv-00028-SA-JAD

Vaiden Woman Wins Lawsuit

From Greenwood Commonwealth Charlie Smith

News Editor

December 17, 2009

A 60-year-old Vaiden woman has won $150,000 in a lawsuit against Wal-Mart after a federal jury found she was fired because of her age. The Wal-Mart in Winona terminated Minnie L. Coker from her cashier’s job in 2005 based on a claim that she had sole tobacco to a minor.

Coker was given a ticket for the offense that purportedly came from the attorney general’s office, but that document was fabricated, according to her attorney, Jim Waide of Tupelo. Justice court records didn’t show any ticket had ever been issued, he said. “It just appeared that was all made up,” Waide said. Also, Wal-Mart admitted in court documents that two younger employees had earlier been convicted of selling tobacco to minors but not fired.