Woman sues franchise claiming company's sales training was religious indoctrination

A woman is suing a franchise in federal court on a claim that the franchise was actually a "cult," and she was fired for her refusal to participate in religious proselytizing. Jo A. Yochum filed the suit on Thursday in Pittsburgh against Bath Fitter of Pittsburgh, 216 Pleasant Drive, Center. Yochum's age and address were not listed in the lawsuit.

According to the lawsuit, Yochum was hired as a Bath Fitter sales representative in April 2004 and was required to participate in a training program that cost her $90,000. The cost of the training was to be withheld as a deduction from sales commissions on her first $3 million in sales. The lawsuit alleges that the sales training provided by another Center Township company, Partners Through People, was actually a religious indoctrination and that the defendants "collectively constitute and conduct themselves as a cult designed to indoctrinate members in their religious worldview."

The training handbook Yochum received "is riddled with religious dogma" that Yochum had to adopt as a condition of her employment. The handbook "required trainees such as Yochum to reflect not on the nature and quality of the renovation materials to be installed by Bath Fitter, as one might expect, but on the nature and quality of ‘Evil, Sin, Judgment Day, Hell, Guilt and Punishment, and Free Will.'" The suit also alleges Yochum had to continue to attend mandatory "Break Out" sessions that were "one-on-one religious indoctrination and brainwashing" after she reached her initial $3 million sales goal.

Yochum objected to the forced religious indoctrination and was ultimately fired in October 2009. The suit claims the company owners told other employees they "could not work with Yochum because she was an atheist." It also alleges the defendants "willfully discriminated against Yochum when they terminated Yochum based on her religious beliefs and her refusal to continue to endure religious indoctrination as a condition of employment." Yochum is seeking to recover damages including back pay, front pay, compensatory and punitive damages and attorney's fees. She is demanding a jury trial.