When Alisa Toscano began working for Gold & Diamond Source in April 2014, she agreed to be an appraiser and consignment associate.
Now Toscano is suing the well-known company — co-owned by Steve and Julie Weintraub — for unlawful termination under Florida’s Private Whistleblower Act. The Weintraubs are not listed in the lawsuit.
As part of her job title, Toscano would purchase and consign jewelry from the public. According to Florida law, she is required to follow specific procedures when purchasing and consigning jewelry.
While working at Gold & Diamond Source, Toscano witnessed other employees violating those laws. When she mentioned it to her supervisor (unidentified in the suit), she was told to “ignore the law.”
Toscano claims that because she refused to ignore those instructions, she was treated wrongly during her time on the job.
On Sept. 15, 2016, she emailed the owners of Gold & Diamond Source, stating she would not break the law and asked to be switched to a different position if that was an issue.
Just one day after sending out the email, Toscano was terminated from her position at Gold & Diamond Source, according to the suit.
The suit, filed Oct. 11, 2016, claims Toscano is suing Gold & Diamond Source for lost wages, lost benefits, lost employment status, attorney fees, and whatever else the court deems necessary.
On Oct. 13, Gold & Diamond Source responded to the suit by requesting documents be produced to support the claims made.
Of the requested documents were: documents relating to Toscano’s employment and job duties, documents reflecting her claim that she suffered during and after her employment, statements she made to anyone regarding her termination, pay stubs from other employers, and any emails, blog posts, or other posts made by Toscano regarding her claims against her employer.
Toscano made $3,813 per month while working for Gold & Diamond Source.
During her two years with the company, Toscano claims she saw co-workers violate Florida law on multiple occasions, baylawsuits.com claims. It is unclear what actions her colleagues were doing that were illegal.
Gold & Diamond Source — which its advertising calls “America’s leading online jewelry store” — has been operating for over 30 years. They have a retail location in Clearwater on Ulmerton Road.
Records do not specify a reason for termination. Gold & Diamond Source representatives have not yet made any statement on the claims.
