Toll worker sues after claiming boss told her not to say 'God bless you' to drivers
A former New Jersey toll booth worker is taking legal action against her employers after claiming her supervisor told her to stop saying "God bless you" to motorists.
Mother-of-three Cynthia Fernandez said she was so upset by the incident that she was crying.
"There's nothing wrong with saying 'God bless you'," she said.
The 34-year-old was a temporary toll-taker on the Garden State Parkway and filed a suit against her employers on Wednesday.
According to News 12 New Jersey, she is seeking back pay plus benefits.
She told the network: "I'm not spreading the Bible and saying, 'Do you believe in Jesus?'"
She added: "I feel like I'm taking a stand for God."
The incident reportedly happened in August but the Turnpike is saying her written resignation was over her not being guaranteed steady hours and did not mention anything about being told not to say 'God bless you', NJ.com reports.
Turnpike spokesman Tom Feeney said she tendered her resignation in early September and did not mention the incident until her second-to-last shift, when she "walked off the job".
"She never mentioned it to anyone at the Turnpike Authority at the time," he said.
"Ms Fernandez was briefly employed as a part-time toll collector. She decided to quit rather than wait for a full-time position to open."