Lawsuit alleges legal firm fired pro-Trump employees and partners over Capitol riot
Sometimes even a lawyer can use a good lawyer. Take the case of St. Cloud attorney Wesley Scott, who allegedly not only fired two employees thought to be Trump supporters but also axed his three partners for their counsel that it’s illegal to terminate someone for their political views.
Scott’s former partners have filed a wrongful termination lawsuit in a proceeding that the Star Tribune says stems from the fallout over the takeover of the U.S. Capitol.
According to the complaint, Scott was disturbed by the Capitol riot and sent an e-mail in April to all the firm’s lawyers, saying that the “traitors on Jan. 6” should have been shot.
He then told the firm’s operations manager to fire two employees he labeled “racist” because they had pro-Trump and pro-police posts on their social media accounts.
When she refused to fire the employees, Scott fired her, according to the complaint. Scott then fired an additional employee and threatened to fire another.
Even months after the election, it can be risky revealing your political leanings or speaking your mind, Trump supporter or not.
The three partners confronted Scott, according to court documents, and told him that firing an employee for political beliefs is against state law. Scott then fired them and called St. Cloud police to remove Quarberg, claiming she was trespassing and physically threatening him.
Scott cut off the partners’ phones and e-mail accounts and changed the locks on the offices, the complaint says.
He told other law firm employees that the partners had been fired for insubordination, according to the complaint, and disparaged them in an online meeting with the firm’s staff.
“We have three employees … who are way over the top violating everything that is dear to us and I won’t let it happen,” the complaint quotes Scott as saying.
Scott told the paper he had not read the legal complaint yet and had no comment. Just the same, it must make for interesting water cooler conversation — if there is any these days — at the firm which bills itself as Minnesota’s biggest and nicest firm specializing in bankruptcy.