CLEARWATER – The former employee of a jeweler based in Clearwater alleges she was terminated for reporting that employees were violating laws.
The suit was filed by Florida resident Alisa Toscano on Oct. 11 against Gold and Diamond Source jewelry store, which is operated and co-owned by Steve and Julie Weintraub.
Alisa Toscano claims she was treated unfairly while employed at Gold and Diamond Source and is suing for funds to compensate her for lost wages, benefits and attorney’s fees.
Julie Weintraub told the Florida Record that Toscano allegedly has a history of filing suits against past employers and in her employee file, those past employers have noted that.
"[She] has been fired at previous positions for her inappropriate behavior in the workplace and inefficient performance, similar to her time at Gold and Diamond Source," Weintraub told the Florida Record.
While Toscano was employed with Gold and Diamond Source, she allegedly told Weintraub numerous times that she wished to be moved to other positions within the company. That is because Weintraub said Toscano “did not get along with co-workers."
"She had six write-ups on file and was re-positioned five times throughout the company," Weintraub said.
Eventually, there were no more positions within the company that Toscano could be reassigned to, so she was relieved of her position, Weintraub said. Toscano should have been released of her duties earlier, Weintraub said. However, Toscano was a family friend and Weintraub said she wanted to help her out with an employment opportunity.
Gold and Diamond Source is working with the Florida police on this matter, Weintraub said, and the jewelry store owners hope the case will be dropped soon with no charges filed.
“We actively put away thieves who are stealing money and jewelry,” she said. "We would never jeopardize anything with our jewelry store or our many employees or customers."
Together with the Florida Police Department, the Weintraubs seek to cut down the amount of stolen money and jewelry that occurs in jewelry stores locally and across the state.
“Our integrity means a lot to us,” she said.
Gold and Diamond Source has been in “business for 36 years and trust is the only thing we have had,” Weintraub said.
The owners hope for the case to “be dropped in two weeks,” Weintraub said. Together, they believe the plaintiff has no merit on her charges filed.
"We have not broken any laws nor would we,” she said.