Employee’s termination at Lansing Culver’s spurs lawsuit

LANSING — A romantic relationship turned sour between two Lansing Culver’s employees resulted in the female employee being fired after asking to be put on separate shift schedules, according to an Ingham County Circuit Court filing.

The lawsuit, dated Dec. 8, was filed against the local Culver’s franchise after the termination of Alyssa Rascoe, 17, shortly following her mother’s report of an off-duty altercation involving her then boyfriend, Devon LaPearl.

The complaint, which includes a Sept. 29 letter from management, outlines a dispute over the timing and reasons for the dismissal of Rascoe, who started working at the restaurant in November 2024. She was working with LaPearl at the 6280 S. Pennsylvania location.

Ultimately, Rascoe was terminated for causing “drama,” according to the complaint — something her attorney, Rob Howard, of Cunningham Dalman PC in Holland, called “inexcusable.”

Howard, in a statement to City Pulse, said the case is about “holding employers accountable when they choose punishment over protection.”

“Ms. Rascoe did exactly what the court required her to do to stay safe. She notified her employer of the no-contact order so that schedules could be adjusted and both persons could remain employed,” the statement said. “Terminating her for that conduct, while continuing to employ the person accused of domestic violence who was under a no-contact order from the court, is not only unjust — it is unlawful. For Culver’s to consider this to be ‘drama’ is inexcusable.”

An attempt to reach a Culver’s representative for this article was not successful as of late Friday, Dec. 19.

 

How it started

The controversy began when Rascoe’s mother contacted Culver’s management Sept. 20 to report a “non-work-related altercation” between Rascoe and LaPearl, an incident that resulted in criminal charges being filed against LaPearl.

Court records indicate the two were involved in a romantic relationship that started in February 2025. By Sept. 18, however, things became hostile at the Lansing home Rascoe shares with her mother, Amy Lischkge, according to court documents.

According to court records, an increasingly frustrated LaPearl allegedly broke down Rascoe’s door after she failed to answer his phone calls, leading to an assault and his subsequent arrest by Lansing police.

LaPearl was later released on bond under the condition that he wear a GPS tether and remain at least 2,000 feet away from Rascoe’s home and workplace. However, when Lischkge contacted the restaurant’s regional manager, Nathan Peters, on Sept. 20 to request that the two not be scheduled for the same shifts to comply with the court order, the response was swift and unexpected.

By the following morning, Rascoe discovered she had been locked out of the company’s scheduling application. When she called Peters for an explanation, he informed her she was terminated. The reason cited for the firing, according to the filing, was that she had created “drama,” the court filing indicates.

 

Response from Culver’s

Management, represented by Jim Staron of Union Pacific Holdings, contended in a letter in the court filing that Rascoe’s dismissal was decided upon before the company learned of the off-duty incident.

Staron said the termination was due to Rascoe’s actions within the workplace, specifically for “disrupting the workplace via discussion of personal matters involving another employee during paid worktime.”

“It is our understanding that the incident occurred after the incidents that led to a decision to terminate your employment,” Staron wrote.

The letter confirms that it was “generally known at the workplace” that Rascoe and LaPearl were in a “consensual relationship.”

However, management said that, because Rascoe did not report any prior workplace concerns regarding LaPearl, the company only began its investigation into potential inappropriate conduct after her mother informed them of the Sept. 20 altercation.

Rascoe, who was 17 at the time, was asked to provide a written statement about any “alleged inappropriate workplace conduct” by Oct. 6 to aid the internal investigation.

In her lawsuit, Rascoe is seeking compensatory damages for emotional distress, as well as recovery for past and future lost wages and fringe benefits. Additionally, the filing asks for exemplary damages intended to deter similar misconduct, alongside the reimbursement of attorney and expert witness fees.

Beyond financial compensation, Rascoe is petitioning the court for reinstatement to her former position at Culver’s — or “front pay” if returning is not feasible — while seeking a formal injunction to prevent any further acts of discrimination or retaliation.

Rascoe has requested a jury trial.