Suit claims law firm leader began firings after complaining about employees' support for Trump
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A lawsuit filed in Minnesota state court has alleged that the leader of a law firm ordered the firing of two employees for supporting former President Donald Trump and then ousted three partners who told him that his actions violated state law.
The suit said Wesley Scott, the leader of bankruptcy law firm Kain & Scott, which has several offices throughout Minnesota, complained about the pro-Trump employees after U.S. Capitol riot in January, report the Minneapolis Star Tribune and Fox 9.
The plaintiffs, the three ousted partners, allege wrongful termination and defamation and seek dissolution of the firm.
The ousted partners own 50% of the firm, which has nine offices in the state. Scott owns the other half, according to the suit.
According to the allegations cited by the Minneapolis Star Tribune and Fox 9, Scott told the firm’s operations manager to fire two employees he deemed to be racist because of their pro-Trump and pro-police social media posts. The operations manager refused, and Scott fired her, according to the Minneapolis Star Tribune. Scott then fired another employee and threatened to fire another.
The partners allegedly told Scott that Minnesota law bars firing people based on political beliefs, spurring Scott to fire them, the suit said. Scott allegedly told others in the firm that the partners had been fired for insubordination, and they had planned a “coup” against him.
The partners said they negotiated a buyout with Scott, who changed his mind and refused to comply with the agreement. The partners are seeking compensation for shares in the firm as set out in the agreement.
Scott told the Minneapolis Star Tribune that he hadn’t seen the lawsuit and couldn’t comment. He didn’t immediately respond to an ABA Journal email requesting comment.
