Colorado's top court said employees can sue for wrongful termination if they were fired for exercising self-defense, creating a public-policy exception to the state's at-will employment rule.
The ruling came in a case involving a 72-year-old Circle K clerk who was terminated after defending herself against an armed robber.
Justices said Colorado's statutory and constitutional self-defense protections are clearly expressed public rights, not merely personal ones.
The court also found those rights are job-related because the need to defend oneself can arise in the workplace, clearing the way for such claims under state law.