Wrongful Termination Suit Filed in Connection to 2021 Capitol Insurrection Fails
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Leah Snyder, former employee of California’s Alight Solutions LLC, claims she was wrongfully terminated from her job after she posted selfies of herself at the U.S. Capitol insurrection.
Details of the Case: Leah Snyder v. Alight Solutions LLC, et al
Court: California Central Court
Case No.: 8:21-cv-00187
The Timeline of Events Related to the Case: Leah Snyder v. Alight Solutions LLC, et al
Leah Snyder, plaintiff in the case, worked for Alight Solutions LLC as a computer programmer for twenty years. In January 2021, Snyder participated in the Capitol insurrection. Snyder claims her participation was limited to peaceful marching outside the building, and taking selfies with police officers on site. Snyder was abruptly fired from her long-time position for taking part in the event. Snyder quickly responded by filing a wrongful termination lawsuit.
The Wrongful Termination Lawsuit & Additional Allegations
Snyder claimed wrongful termination based on the alleged violation of the good cause provision in her employment agreement with Alight as well as a California civil rights law that bans people from using threats or violence to interfere with someone else’s constitutional rights. Snyder’s lawsuit also argued that the company violated California's Tom Bane Civil Rights Act that protects against employers threatening employees to prevent their action in actions or events, etc. that are protected by their constitutional rights.
Many Terminations Followed the U.S. Capital Insurrection in January 2021:
The plaintiff in the case, Leah Snyder, is not the only participant in the January 2021 U.S. Capitol Insurrection to lose their job over the event. Others are in similar situations, terminated after evidence of their participation was seen on social media. However, Snyder appears to be one of the first to file a federal wrongful termination lawsuit in connection to the U.S. capital riot-related termination. Snyder filed suit against Alight seeking a minimum of $10 million in damages.
The Employer Moves to Dismiss:
In their motion to dismiss, Alight argued that they were within their rights to terminate Snyder's employment. The company insists they did not fire Snyder based on her political beliefs or her civic participation, but that they fired her because she participated in an illegal act, and there is no law that restricts an employer's power to fire an employee that breaks the law or participates in illegal behavior. In connection with the alleged California Tom Bane Civil Rights Act violation, the company noted that they did not threaten her before she attended the event. They only fired her after the riot occurred and she returned to California. Therefore, according to the argument presented by Alight Solutions, Leah Snyder's First Amendment rights were not violated because they didn’t stop her from attending or participating in the insurrection on Jan. 6th, 2021.
If you have questions about California labor law violations or how employment law protects you against labor law violations, please get in touch with Blumenthal Nordrehaug Bhowmik DeBlouw LLP. Experienced employment law attorneys are ready to assist you in various law firm offices located in San Diego, San Francisco, Sacramento, Los Angeles, Riverside, and Chicago.
