Man drank about a bottle of wine in Cedar Rapids brewery

An Iowa man who was fired after passing out at a company-organized “happy hour” event at a brewery is not eligible for unemployment benefits, a judge ruled.

State records show that Garrett Lomeli worked as a regional manager for Southern Glazer’s Wine and Spirits, a wine wholesaler in Urbandale, until his firing in early July.

On June 25, Lomeli worked a full day and then drove from Des Moines to Cedar Rapids to fulfill a work assignment, according to state records from Southern Glazer’s. While in Cedar Rapids, Lomeli was assigned to attend a work-related “happy hour” event hosted by a supplier to a Cedar Rapids brewery.

At the event, Lomeli drank four or five glasses of wine — roughly the equivalent of a standard bottle — and then passed out, Southern Glazer told the state. One of the other attendees then took photos of Lomeli in his unconscious state and forwarded them to Southern Glazer’s human resources department in connection with a complaint, state records show.

According to Southern Glazer’s, Lomeli later attributed his condition to the combination of wine and prescribed medications that can cause drowsiness.

Southern Glazer fired Lomeli and subsequently contested his unemployment benefits claim, leading to a recent hearing before Administrative Law Judge James E. Timberland.

The judge agreed with Southern Glazer’s argument and accused Lomelis of “wantonly reckless conduct” at the “Happy Hour” event.

“It was possible to fully participate in the wine and spirits industry’s relationship-building social event without recklessly consuming the equivalent of a bottle of wine, an intoxicating amount even if there were no drug interactions,” Timberland stated in its ruling. “A reasonable person would be aware that the real purpose of the work-related social event was to strengthen business relationships. … A reasonable person would conclude that Mr. Lomeli’s conduct negatively reflected on the employer’s reputation.”

This article first appeared in the Iowa Capital Dispatch.