Lawsuit: County employee had to use vacation time for Jewish holidays

BUTLER COUNTY, OH (FOX19) - A former staff attorney for Butler County claims she was not permitted to use holiday time off to observe Jewish holidays.

Attorney Kimberly Edelstein has filed a lawsuit against the Butler County and its judge, prosecutor and assistant prosecutor.

In the lawsuit, Edelstein says she's a practicing Jew and that during her employment observed Jewish holidays by using her vacation time and working additional hours.

She claims the County designates Christmas as a holiday and does not have a policy that accommodates holiday time off for employees of different religions.

Edelstein says she was fired two days after asking to take off eight days for the Jewish High Holidays last year.

Butler County Prosecutor Mike Gmoser responded by saying, "That's nuts." and "it is nuts for anyone to think I discriminate based on race, religion, politics, sex etc … The public deserves to know and I will not be silent on such nutty stuff."

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