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RATON — A former wildlife manager for a northern New Mexico ranch owned by media mogul Ted Turner alleges he was wrongfully fired after a new general manager began pushing religion on employees.
James Baker's complaint does not charge religious discrimination, but says his three-decade-plus career at Vermejo Park Ranch went sour because he didn't attend Bible classes run by ranch general manager Mark Kossler, The Santa Fe New Mexican reported.
Baker's lawsuit alleges that almost immediately after being hired, "Kossler commenced preferential hiring and firing practices, based on attendance (or lack thereof) at the workplace religious services he had created and instituted."
Defendants are Kossler and Turner Enterprises Inc., an Atlanta-based firm owned by Turner.
Turner Enterprises bought Vermejo Park Ranch in 1996.
Kossler declined to comment and referred questions Atlanta lawyer Jeffrey Mokotoff, who represents Turner Enterprises and Kossler. Mokotoff said he had not seen the complaint and could not comment.
Albuquerque attorney Sherry Tippett filed the lawsuit last week in 7th Judicial District Court.
Baker seeks reinstatement and unspecified damages for alleged breach of contract, violation of covenants of good faith and fair dealings, wrongful termination and negligent supervision. Baker now lives in Key West, Fla., where he works for a butterfly conservatory.
The lawsuit said Baker wrote last year to Turner and his son Beauregard "Beau" Turner, whom he had known for 16 years, to tell them what was happening at the ranch and that he was being forced to resign.
Three weeks later, Kossler fired Baker, locked him out of his office and gave him 30 days to vacate the ranch house where he had lived with his family for 34 years, the lawsuit said.
Baker had worked for the ranch since 1975 and continued as wildlife manager after Turner Enterprises bought it, receiving merit raises and good job appraisals, the lawsuit said.
That changed in 2007 when Kossler became manager, the suit said. Kossler previously managed Turner's Flying D ranch near Bozeman, Mont.
The lawsuit alleges Kossler began posting notices for religious services on ranch bulletin boards and at the entry to the ranch lodge soon after he took over. It also says Kossler got rid of 60 percent of the 22 employees who lived on the ranch in his first two years as general manager.
"None of these employees who were fired or forced to resign attended Defendant Kossler's workplace religious services," according to the lawsuit. "All of their replacements do."
The lawsuit said Kossler criticized Baker's job performance, insulted him, accused him of providing an inaccurate elk count, told other employees they didn't need to keep him informed, asked him when he was going to retire even though he was seven years from retirement age, and hired a new assistant wildlife manager without his input.
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Information from: The Santa Fe New Mexican, http://www.sfnewmexican.com
