Man sues ex-boss after ‘pocket dial’ cost him his job
ATLANTA, United States (AP) — A man who lost his job is suing his former boss for listening in on a conversation over the phone after the man accidentally “pocket-dialled” his boss.
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports that James Stephens was talking to his wife in 2016 about his boss, Georgia Subsequent Injury Trust Fund Director Mike Coan, who is a former state lawmaker.
At the time, Stephens didn’t realise that he had pocket-dialled Coan, who could hear the conversation. Not liking what he had heard, Coan told Stephens he could resign or be fired.
Stephens has now filed a lawsuit, arguing that Coan knew he’d been inadvertently pocket-dialled, but continued to listen to the conversation, violating Stephens’ privacy.
Coan says he is immune from Georgia’s eavesdropping law because he was acting as a state employee.
