Part-time seasonal employee's wrongful termination claim is dismissed
Steven Hart worked part-time for the Washtenaw County Sheriff and full-time as a Harrison Township Fire Department paramedic. He was responding to an emergency in the latter role when he missed a scheduled court date for Washtenaw and was fired. He argued that his employment allowed for dismissal only upon a showing of "just cause" and that his emergency duties with Harrison Township justified the missed court date.
The lower court determined that the Department's employment policies did not create a "legitimate expectation" of just-cause employment and dismissed Hart's lawsuit. The Court of Appeals upheld this decision. It noted that the "consumer complaint" policy cited by Hart was irrelevant to the instant circumstances and that his discharge did not violate public policy.