Lawsuit filed against TapOut by former saleswoman goes to trial

L.A. Weekly is reporting via its Informer blog a trial has just started in the case of Michelle Thomas v. TapOut.  Thomas is suing for wrongful termination.  Her claim is that she was fired from her sales job because she didn't watch the (abominably awful) TapOut reality show on Versus and all UFC pay-per-view events, which she had to pay for out of pocket without reimbbursement.  "We'd also be tested on these shows. I'd be verbally yelled at if I didn't watch them," said Thomas in her testimony. She also alleges that she wasn't paid overtime and commissions that she was due. TapOut's lawyer Gail F. Montgomery says that Thomas was fired for "insubordination and yelling in the office."

If it's true that all employees were required to watch all TapOut episodes and UFC PPVs on their own dime, it's pretty ridiculous even if that's not what she was fired for.  A knowledge of the company, the fighters they worked with, and MMA in general is one thing, but having to watch a hideous reality show on cable (which, even a few years ago, a lot of people were ditching) AND pay hundreds of dollars out of pocket for overpriced PPVs has nothing to do with selling T-shirts.