Wilson v. City of Monroe

— The right to be free from wrongful termination in contravention of public policy is independent of any underlying contractual agreement between employee and employer. When an employee brings a claim against an employer based on nonnegotiable, substantive rights that are not dependent on a collective bargaining agreement (CBA), the employee is not first required to exhaust the remedies provided by a CBA arbitration clause.

Recognizing the independent nature of the wrongful termination tort, we hold that summary judgment dismissal of Darryl Wilson’s retaliatory discharge claims against his…