Birmingham Radio: Ex-JOX GM Sues Cumulus

Bill Thomas

The former general manager at Birmingham sports-talk stations WJOX FM and AM has filed a wrongful termination lawsuit against his old employer, claiming Cumulus Media fired him six days after he told his superiors he had been diagnosed with congestive heart failure.

Bill Thomas -- who also oversaw the day-to-day operations at four other Cumulus stations in Birmingham, as well as The Paul Finebaum Radio Network -- filed the lawsuit Tuesday in federal court in Birmingham, according to a story at al.com.

Thomas' lawsuit claims Cumulus violated the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990.

Attorneys for Thomas have requested a jury trial and are asking that Thomas get his old job back, as well as receive back pay from the date of his termination, plus attorney fees and other damages.

Thomas -- who also had been named in a 2011 breach-of-contract lawsuit that WJOX sports-talk host Paul Finebaum filed against Cumulus subsidiary Citadel Broadcasting -- was fired on Feb. 17, 2012, according to his lawsuit.

John Dickey

Six days earlier, the lawsuit says, Thomas had emailed Cumulus chief operating officer John Dickey and human resources manager Malea Turner to tell them he had been diagnosed with congestive heart failure but was still able to perform his duties as general manager.

On the day that Dickey and Cumulus co-COO Jon Pinch drove from Atlanta to Birmingham to fire him, Thomas asked Dickey if he had read the email Thomas sent him, the lawsuit says.

"Yeah, yeah . . .," Dickey replied, according to the lawsuit. "We all have health problems as we get older. . . . I have gout."

When Thomas told Dickey that his health problem was more serious than gout, Dickey left the room, the lawsuit says.

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