Target Reviews Firing Over Search for Dally

A spokeswoman for Target Stores said Monday that the company is reviewing its decision last week to fire the head of security at its Ventura retail outlet for his role in the search for slaying victim Sherri Dally.

An attorney representing John Avila said store management fired him Friday after they told him that efforts to organize the search for Dally--whose body was found two weeks ago--drew negative publicity to the retailer.

Susan Eich, a Target Stores spokeswoman in Minneapolis, said she could not comment on the company’s reasons for terminating Avila, citing the confidentiality of personnel matters. She said Target’s employee-relations department would make a final ruling on the decision in the next few weeks.

Greg Ramirez, the Oxnard-based attorney representing Avila, said he has asked Target management to allow Avila to inspect his personnel file and to give him his job back.

“If they want to deny both requests, I have asked them to have their attorneys call me,” Ramirez said.

Ramirez said Avila, 35, is a former Oxnard police officer and Ventura resident who had known Dally since high school. The 35-year-old Ventura mother was abducted from the Ventura Target store parking lot about six weeks ago. Her body was found in a ditch north of the city on June 1.

Ramirez said Avila used Target letterhead to make posters asking others to join the search. Ramirez added that Avila also used store walkie-talkies in the search effort he helped organize.

“Most importantly, he had the search parties meet in the Target parking lot,” Ramirez said. “Target felt that he was drawing negative publicity to the Target name.”

Ramirez said Avila’s dismissal is a violation of his constitutional rights of freedom of expression and association.