Karen R. Bammert, Plaintiff-Appellant-Petitioner, v. Don's Super Valu, Inc., Defendant-Respondent., 2002 WI 85

Summary

The employee worked for the employer as an assistant manager. The employee's husband was a police officer. The employer's owner's wife was arrested for drunk driving. The employee's husband assisted in the arrest. Shortly thereafter, the employee was fired, allegedly in retaliation for her husband's participation in the arrest of her boss's wife. The employee sued for wrongful discharge, invoking the public policy exception to the employment-at-will doctrine. The case was dismissed and affirmed on appeal. The state supreme court held that the public policy exception to the employment-at-will doctrine could not be invoked when an at-will employee was fired in retaliation for the actions of his or her non-employee spouse. The case was properly dismissed for failure to state a claim.