USA: Man sues, can't stomach firing

. OAKLAND COUNTY, Detroit / The Detroit News / March 19, 2009 Man sues, can't stomach firing: Former employer says statement is 'absurd' and salesman was dismissed because he wasn't good. Mike Martindale / The Detroit News PONTIAC -- A sacked salesman is suing his former boss for more than $25,000, claiming he was fired for lacking a "flat belly." But his ex-boss says the only thing flat was his sales.Patrick J. Ronayne, 61, of Bloomfield Hills is suing Winston Golf and Winston Manufacturing for weight and age discrimination, claiming he lost his $75,000-a-year job in April 2007 because of his waistline. His lawsuit in Oakland County Circuit Court claims he was an "excellent performer" and received an unscheduled bonus in his three years with the firm. Ronayne refused comment, but a spokesman for the Auburn Hills firm was incredulous Wednesday when he heard about the suit. "He said what?" asked Garrett Morelock, a spokesman for the company, which is also part of 3Sixty Group, Monroe Engineering Products and Miller Dial. "That is so absurd I don't know what to say. Is this some kind of early April Fool's joke? He was let go for one reason and one reason only: He didn't sell. You don't let good salesmen go and he was not a good salesman. "You should see some of the people walking around here," he said with a laugh. "Flat bellies is not a requirement, believe me." Ronayne is listed in state records as 5 feet 11 inches tall and 225 pounds. His lawsuit, assigned to Judge Denise Langford Morris, claims he was let go with an unattributed statement that "he was not a 'flat belly' like some of the other (and younger) people who were retained." The suit claims he was replaced by a thinner person. "I don't even remember him being that heavy," Morelock said of Ronayne. © Copyright 2009 The Detroit News.