Forrest Perkins v. Memorial Hospital of South Bend

Summary

The court reversed summary judgment for the hospital and remanded a wrongful-termination claim brought by an at-will employee who testified at a coworker’s unemployment hearing. It held that testimony compelled by subpoena or another legal duty is protected by the public-policy exception to at-will employment, and that the record did not establish that the employee voluntarily testified after the hearing officer failed to provide a subpoena. The court declined to create a broad exception for all voluntary witness testimony.