PRINCETON – A coal miner says he was fired and retaliated against by his former employers for demanding safer working conditions.
Bruce Vance of Richwood filed his complaint September 4 in Mercer Circuit Court against Pocahontas Coal Company, United Coal Company and Jeff Sammons. Vance worked for the defendant companies in a joint venture, and Sammons was his direct supervisor.
According to the complaint, Vance began working as a maintenance superintendent for the defendant companies in 2007. In April 2025, he says he “exercised his duty to have the defendants comply with both federal and state mining regulations which were related to safety.” That included having safe tires on commercial vehicles.
But Vance says the defendants retaliated against him by pretextually claiming they were disciplining him for violating company policy with regard to purchase orders.
On July 8, Vance says he was demoted to day shift foreman, and his pay was cut by about 25 percent. The next day, he says Sammons – his direct supervisor – confronted him about purchasing orders that involved Vance complying with federal and state mining regulations.
Vance says he had talked with the companies’ safety department on July 6 about getting grass cut for safety purposes. He says it would have cost about $13,500 to comply with the mining regulations, including the grass cutting.
Vance says he was suspended on July 9, a move he protested. Two days later, he says he was fired for a pretextual reason. He says the real reason he was fired was his age – Vance was 55 at the time – and that he was costing the company money by complying with mining regulations.
He also says two younger employees committed similar conduct and were not fired. He also says his office was broken into after his termination.
Vance also says he later took a job in Mercer County “being paid substantially less than he was” while working for the defendants.
In the complaint, Vance also says he received positive performance reviews every year he was employed through 2024. In addition, he says an administrative law judge for WorkForce West Virginia ruled he did not commit gross misconduct, saying Vance did not commit the conduct alleged by the defendants.
Vance accuses the defendants of age discrimination in violation of the West Virginia Human Rights Act and of violating substantial West Virginia public policy.
He seeks general damages of back pay, front pay and lost benefits as well as damages for mental anguish, emotional distress, humiliation, aggravation and inconvenience. He also seeks punitive damages, consequential damages, incidental damages, attorney fees, court costs, pre- and post-judgment interests and other relief.
Vance is being represented by John Einreinhofer of the Law Offices of John Einreinhofer in South Charleston. The case has been assigned to Circuit Judge Mark Wills.
Mercer Circuit Court case number 25-C-232
