I am a former employee manager with The State of Alabama ABC Board, unjustly terminated from my twenty-three-year tenured career with the State of Alabama. I filed a complaint with the EEOC on January 4, 2021, for discrimination. One-week later Monday January 11, 2021, I was accused of theft of a store deposit that I had locked in the night depository at Regions Bank of Pinson, Alabama on Saturday, January 9, 2021. Despite video surveillance from Regions Bank confirming my actions by Branch Manager Joseph Harbin and Regions Corporate Investigator Russell Yawn, the bank being closed on Saturdays as per standard procedure, these facts were overlooked. I was read my Miranda Rights at my store in Pinson by Special Agent Doug Poarch with The State of Alabama ABI on January 14, 2021, with no evidence. The money was not stolen or lost; it was always in Regions Bank's possession.

I was accused of theft starting January 11, 2021. My attorney Porcha Anthony of The Fonteneau Firm would later reveal to me in a phone call on April 1, 2021. The State was firing me for theft, and they informed her she would not be able to defend me. They did not keep anyone who stole or lost any money. The State could not fight me in court for discrimination with the evidence I compiled from the previous year. The State would have to frame me for theft and fire me while Regions Bank held the deposit.  This is how corrupt The State of Alabama is. It would be another month February 12, 2021, before insubordination would come into my false charges. The ABC Board is an Authoritarian Dictatorship. They needed to bolster the alleged theft.

I was insubordinate according to ABC Assistant (now Director) Jarrod Jones, ABC H.R. Director Tonia Stephens, ABC Chief Officer Neil Graff, and ABC Administrator Mac Gipson. Newly promoted ABC District Supervisor Carrie Harkins texted me while I was on vacation Monday February 1, 2021. Harkins texted she wanted me to work at the Moody ABC Store on Wednesday February 3, 2021. I texted back asking why she needed me. I was not a floater. Harkins said she was having to move a couple of people around and really needed me to work with her. I asked Harkins if the other managers were floating as well. Harkins said, all the employees from the closed stores were. This was not true.

I called Jarrod Jones Tuesday, February 2, 2021. I asked for clarification from Jones about a new assignment from District Supervisor Carrie Harkins. I asked why I (a manager) was being asked to cover for a sales associate in Moody? There were ten sales associates available here at the Trussville store. Jones said, it's not targeting. Jones then began describing a scenario where "they" wanted me to spy on the Moody ABC store manager. Jones said there was a problem at the store, and they wanted a manager's view on whether it was a managerial problem or an employee problem. I replied, I am not trained to be some kind of mediator or a spy and this was not part of my job duties. This is District Supervisor Harkins store. Harkins is responsible for what goes on between the manager and the employees. Jones said, we can move anybody anywhere we want!
*I have this recorded.

I complied and worked at the Moody ABC store the next day on Wednesday, February 3, 2021, as requested. Spying on the manager at the Moody store proved to be stocking shelves and adding thirteen more miles of travel to work. On the following day, Thursday, February 4, 2021, I returned to the Trussville ABC store where I had been temporarily assigned during the pandemic while my store in Pinson was closed. Harkins soon called me at the Trussville store giggling. Harkins said, my bad, but I meant for you to stay in Moody for the rest of the month of February. I asked Harkins, why aren’t you sending one of the ten sales associates standing around here in Trussville to Moody? There is also a new sales associate here from the Tarrant ABC store you could have sent to Moody. Harkins replied, oh that’s Milton, he wanted to transfer to Trussville. I said Milton did not transfer here. He just told me he is here until his store reopens like the other temporary employees here. Harkins became angry. She knew I knew she was lying. Harkins asked me if I was refusing. I said no, but you know this is not right. Harkins said, “ok, I will call you back” and hung up. I handed the phone to Trussville ABC store Manager Barry Bevis who was standing right beside me. Bevis asked me what Harkins said. I said Harkins said she would call me back. Harkins called Bevis later that day. Harkins told Bevis to leave me there in Trussville and she would make a decision over the weekend. Harkins never called me. Instead, Harkins and my former District Supervisor Lynsie Haynie showed up a week later at 2:00pm on Friday, February 12, 2021, at the Trussville store with my pre-termination paperwork. To expedite my firing, ABC H.R. Director Tonia Stephens wanted to have my hearing on Tuesday, February 16, 2021, at 9:30am because Monday was a holiday. I called Stephens and said I needed the hearing date changed due to the late notification and my attorney's lack of availability. Stephens wanted to move it forward two days to Thursday, February 18, 2021. When I explained this was a conflict with personal leave already approved, Stephens became angry. Stephens said, you are not going to get all the time in the world!

At my pretermination hearing on March 03, 2021. The ABC Boards general counsel attorney and judge of my hearing David Peacock called the video from Regions Bank circumstantial. No actual proof I put any money into the depository. My attorney Anthony did not even try to defend me. I was not responsible for this deposit after I locked it into Regions Bank's night depository. ABC H.R. Director Tonia Stephens said Diebold took the depository apart and could not find the deposit. Stephens could not produce any documentation stating Diebold came out to Regions and did anything. Special Agent Doug Poarch with The State of Alabama ABI who read me my Miranda Rights back in January, testified and guaranteed I took it. I was not given the benefit of doubt, despite the fact I never lost a penny in my twenty-three-year career. Not one bank I conducted business with on behalf of ABC ever lost or claimed they did not have a deposit I locked into their night depository. Jones and Special Agent Poarch both said there was a discrepancy on the store’s destination log as to when I went to the bank on January 8, 2021. Jones said I wrote the wrong time out and back in on the log sheet. Jones and Poarch allege on Friday January 8, 2021, I went to Regions Bank at 2:22pm and returned at 2:28pm. This was not possible. ABC Sales Associate Albert Duncan and I were still unloading the Pinson ABC store’s replenishment truck at that time. According to the real store security camera on Friday January 8, 2021, I went to the bank at 3:30pm and returned at 3:45, just as I stated in the log. I asked Jones if he was scrutinizing all the other stores' destination logs? Jones said no. I have the documentation to back this up.

Jones and District Supervisor Harkins, requested me to write a statement on January 14, 2021, pertaining to the alleged “stolen” deposit of January 8, 2021. Jones said Harkins informed him on January 22, 2021, I had declined to write a statement. This is another untruth. I sent my statement to my attorney, Porcha Anthony, for review on January 18, 2021. No time limit was given to me as to when the statement was due. This is the type of harassment that is typical of this administration. When Jones called me later that day on January 22, 2021, at Trussville to ask me about my statement. I said I have already written and sent it to my attorney on January 18, 2021. I was waiting for her approval before submitting. According to Jones at my hearing, our phone call went like this: “Matt, Carrie said you declined to write a statement. Are you refusing?” Jones said I then told him I would write one. Another untruth. These people tell everyone If we say this is what happened, you must believe us. They all lie consistently.

Jones said this situation, as unfortunate as it is, places the burden of proof on me. Because I was the last person to handle the deposit. This deposit was locked in the night depository and now in Regions Bank of Pinson’s possession. Mr. Harbin, the Branch Manager, is the one responsible for Regions Bank of Pinson. These baseless accusations against me from these proven liars in the ABC upper management to discredit, defame, target harass and fire me because I did my job.

Just before the hearing concluded, Peacock asked Harkins if I refused to go to Moody. Harkins said yes. I said, I did not. You were supposed to call me back. You never did. Trussville Manager Barry Bevis was standing beside me in the warehouse of the Trussville store and witnessed that part of the conversation I had with Harkins.

My attorney Anthony dropped me as a client without any notification after my termination. It would be on April 1, 2021, when I found out. I later filed a complaint with The Birmingham Bar Association against Anthony for not giving me proper notice. I now had less than three weeks to file with Right to Sue letter issued to me by the EEOC. Anthony would write a rebuttal statement to the BBA concerning my complaint. Anthony claimed she saw me in the video from Regions Bank carrying two money bags to the depository and carry one bag back to my vehicle. This is a blatant lie. The money was always in Regions Bank of Pinson. After my ninety days Right to Sue time ran out. The State went to Regions Bank, got the deposit, and quietly dropped theft charges. I was never informed of this. There is a record of when Regions Bank credited The State for that January 8, 2021, deposit. Where is the transparency? This is the real burden of proof.

I filed a second time with the EEOC on June 14, 2021. This was for wrongful termination. I wanted my job back. EEOC Enforcement Officer Michael Cochran said they would do a thorough "Federal" type investigation into the stolen/missing deposit. I uploaded to the EEOC portal filed Ethics reports, Policy and Procedure violations extortion, insubordination, walking off the job, refusing an order, taking tens of thousands of dollars from the store safe without authorization, pictures, audio, and video clips etc. going back over a year. My District Supervisor Lynsey Haynie lied to me about handling these violations and covered it up. This is why I filed for discrimination in January 2021. 

On October 26, 2021, I received the EEOC's report along with The State's position statement. ABC Administrator Mac Gipson says the money was recovered at the bank stuck between the mechanism and the wall (what about Diebold?). However, I would not be rehired due to misconduct insubordination, which led to me being unable to draw unemployment benefits. I asked the EEOC Officer Cochran when did Regions find this deposit, he said he did not know. Cochran said The State dropped theft charges and The EEOC did not investigate. I asked when did The State drop theft charges? Cochran said he did not know. He also did not know when The State was credited this deposit. I said, I was never notified Regions found the alleged "stolen” deposit. Nor was I informed I no longer had to repay it. I said, you didn't investigate anything. You just took The State's word for it. The State had no right to charge me with theft. I was not responsible for that deposit after I locked it into Regions Banks night depository. Regions Bank had the money the entire time. The unknown date of that deposit credited to The State from Regions Bank is the proof. There was no insubordination. This was just a desperate attempt to slander, defame, and fire me from a corrupt, unethical, and amoral agency of The State of Alabama aided by Regions Bank, attorney’s Porcha Anthony and Kira Fonteneau, The Birmingham Bar Association and the EEOC. 

An attempt was even made by the H.R. Payroll officer Felicia Mosley to forfeit my pension - all this because I did what was right; reporting employees under me who were violating Policy and Procedures.

I finally got my unemployment on October 27, 2023. I originally filed for it on March 7, 2021. I went to the Department of Labor office in Birmingham. I asked the DOL agent what changed? Why am I receiving this unemployment now? Who signed off on this and why? The agent was a little confused because the dates I qualify for training have long expired. It also says I qualify for five additional weeks of unemployment. He went into the back area and got his supervisor. After some digging, his Supervisor Ombudsman Brian Davis came and said, this is an admission.

This petition is not just about me but about justice and fairness in our workplaces across America. It is about holding accountable those who misuse their power to punish whistleblowers instead of addressing internal issues.

We call upon Congress to investigate this matter involving The State of Alabama Alcoholic Beverage Control Board, Regions Bank and The EEOC for conspiracy against an innocent citizen doing his job dutifully. This investigation will not only serve justice but also protect future employees from similar wrongful treatment. Conspiracy is an agreement between two or more people to commit an illegal act, along with an intent to achieve the agreement's goal. The State of Alabama, Regions Bank, the EEOC, my former attorney Porcha Anthony and her boss Kira Fonteneau, and The Birmingham Bar Association all participated in my illegal termination.

Please sign this petition urging Congress to take immediate action! 

More in depth details including filed Ethics complaints against ABC Chief Officer Neil Graff on my Facebook page:

https://www.facebook.com/matt.wade.718?mibextid=zLoPMf