Fired Starkey president hires employment lawyer

EDEN PRAIRIE, Minn. (KMSP) - Starkey Hearing Technologies President Jerry Ruzicka  has hired an employment lawyer following his firing.

Marshall Tanick, an attorney with Hellmuth & Johnson said Ruzicka was fired abruptly and without warning. Tanick said in a phone interview he is reviewing the situation, but does not believe there is anything criminal behind the purge of senior leadership at Starkey. 

Tanick said he doesn’t represent the other 3 top executives that were fired, but he might.

Starkey Hearing Technologies founder and CEO William F. Austin confirmed Wednesday there is an ongoing investigation at the company, and an email to employees obtained by Fox 9 said Chief Financial Officer Scott Nelson, Senior Vice President of Human Resources Larry Miller and Senior Vice President of Operations Keith Guggenberger had all been fired.

The details surrounding the investigation and reason for firing have not yet been revealed.

Email to Starkey employees

"Jerry Ruzicka, Scott Nelson, Keith Guggenberger and Larry Miller have been terminated effective immediately. We cannot disclose additional information due to the ongoing investigation. I want to thank all of you on the Starkey team. Business will be conducted as usual, and I look forward to moving forward together and achieving the success that we all want to be part of. Better today than yesterday, better tomorrow than today."