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By Rosemary Pollock
Franklin Covey Favors LDS Members, Lawsuit Alleges
PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA -- A lawsuit was filed Friday in U.S. District
Court of the Eastern District of Pennsylvania as thirteen former employees
of a Franklin Covey Co. subsidiary, alleged discrimination because they were
not members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. According to
Plaintiff attorney William Maher, the former employees of Premier School
Agendas Co. of Bellingham, Washington, who worked in the Premier regional
office in Blue Bell, Pa. alleged they were passed over for promotions, had
sales territories restricted and were denied profit sharing and stock option
benefits.
"They were not members of the particular and favored religious organization
and therefore did not share the same religious beliefs and/or social values
as did the management and ownership of the defendant companies," the
plaintiffs claimed. Although the lawsuit does not specifically identify the
"favored religious organization" as The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day
Saints, Maher did say the Church is the religion cited in the plaintiffs
complaint.
"Members of the LDS faith are given preferential treatment by these
companies," Maher said. "When all is said and done, there will be a lot more
than 13 people coming forward." Maher claims that the company's products
will be an issue in the lawsuit. "They teach ways to improve employee morale
and management skills yet they don't practice that themselves," he said.
Premier School Agendas was acquired by Franklin Covey in 1996 and operates
independently as a wholly owned subsidiary. Attorneys for the West Valley
City-based Franklin Covey are familiar with the allegations, but had few
details according to spokesman Richard Putnam. "We have never sent
management there or integrated them into the company to any large
degree,"Putnam said.
Source:
Franklin Covey Hit With Bias Lawsuit
Salt Lake Tribune 25Aug01 B4
By Lisa Carricaburu: Salt Lake Tribune
Non-LDS employees claim discrimination
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