Mary Ann Moreno, Plaintiff: v. Circle K Stores, Inc. Defendant:

Summary

The court answered yes to the certified question, holding that Colorado recognizes a narrow public-policy exception to at-will employment when an employee is terminated for lawfully exercising the right of self-defense in response to an unprovoked attack at work. It held that the statutory and constitutional protections for self-defense clearly express a public policy, protect a public and essential right, and apply to employees because workplace attacks can implicate the right. The court did not decide whether the employee actually acted in self-defense or whether the employer terminated her for that reason, leaving those factual issues for further proceedings.