A judge in Richmond Circuit Court on Thursday allowed part of an unpaid wages lawsuit brought against Del. Marie March, R-Floyd County, by a former legislative aide to go forward.
Tambra Blankenship is a Giles County resident who worked for March for a few months last summer, according to the lawsuit. In October, she sued March for unpaid wages under both the Virginia Overtime Wage Act and the Virginia Minimum Wage Act.
Judge William Marchant dismissed Blankenship’s claim under the overtime act but allowed the portion of the suit filed under the minimum wage act to proceed.
That aspect of the lawsuit alleges that March failed to pay Blankenship for work she did associated with March’s businesses and personal life that fell outside of her state-funded role as a legislative aide.
According to March’s website, she owns several businesses, including the restaurant Due South BBQ. At the time Blankenship was working for her, March also owned Fatback Soul Shack, which closed in December.
Blankenship’s lawyer, Thomas Strelka, said in court Thursday that March had Blankenship doing work for her restaurants, such as scheduling restaurant employees, that “only further[ed] the interest of these businesses” and fell outside of the scope of work of a legislative aide.
Blankenship was doing work for March’s business on top of her normal 40-hour work week, Strelka said in court. In total, Blankenship claims she worked 50 hours a week or more, including weekends.
The judge gave...
Park Filed Complaint Against President Lee Ahead of 2021 Election Jang Youngha Sentenced to One Year in Prison, Two Years Probation Confirmed The police have launched an investigation into Park Chu...