Fired because another employee is married to a sex offender that use to live by me

What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? TEXAS
I was fired because another employee and I had a conversation 4 mos ago and it came about that her husband is a registered sex offender and use to live by me. I had no problem with the fact that we had to work together. And nothing else was said after that. She has since been on maternity leave and came back. She has been working in the other location for 3 mos. So, I have not had any contact with her. I was fired Jan 09 because they said I presented a hostile enviroment for her since I knew about her husband. I knew about that before she was employeed there. And I was also told that I was accessing the site at work. Which I was not and they have pulled the computer logs, and they show nothing for that site. So, because I was fired without warning and never once had been in trouble, no write ups, or management problems, could I been fired for the wrong reasons???

Tysmom0426 said:

So, because I was fired without warning and never once had been in trouble, no write ups, or management problems, could I been fired for the wrong reasons???

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You may have been fired for the wrong reasons, and unfairly, but what they did is legal. You are not entitled to warnings.

This below is written under Texas Unemployment Laws for Employers.

You will need to show how
the claimant, before
discharge, either knew or
should have known their
job was in jeopardy. Show
evidence of written or
verbal final warnings or of
policies warning of dismissal
for certain

Now, I was never given any warnings or write ups.

That's for UI purposes ONLY. It has nothing to do with "wrongful termination". The great majority of people receiving UI benefits were legally terminated.

Texas law sucks because there is no law about reasons for firing an employee. I just feel that I was not in thr wrong and what I knew was public information.

Tysmom0426 said:

Texas law sucks because there is no law about reasons for firing an employee. I just feel that I was not in thr wrong and what I knew was public information.

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That's not true. There are laws to protect employees and there are many reasons a termination can be unlawful. They just don't apply to you in this case.

Montana is the only state where there is any need to provide a reason to fire an employee, and not even always there. Texas is hardly alone in that.

Well it has left with no other reason than to tell the truth. Any patients that ask me why I am not there working, I will be honest with them and tell them the truth. No point in lying. Haven't told a lie yet, and do not plan to.

If you're not working, where are the patients going to find you to ask?

Unfortunately...

It is not against the law to terminate someone's employment,
except if they were fired as an act of discrimination.

You may be awarded unemployment in this case, however,
and if your story is true, the employer may have acted unethically
in this case, but certainly not illegally.

You must always remember. The employer can fire someone
for any reason, except for discrimination.

Best wishes.

-Shawn-

ShawnL said:

You must always remember. The employer can fire someone for any reason, except for discrimination.

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Incorrect. You can be discriminated against and still be legally fired. As a matter of fact, you could opt to fire anyone at a company under 30, or who has a beard, or who wears brown shoes, or wears cologne. And you could even put that on their termination letter. Would they get UI benefits? Probably. Would it be illegal? No.

An employer may not discriminate against you for a state or federally-protected status. Discrimination in and of itself is not illegal.

That is one of the dumber reasons for firing someone I've read here, but it's still legal.

Is it fair? No. Moral? No. Ethical? No. Right? No.

Legal? Yes.

I was fired Jan 09 because they said I presented a hostile enviroment for her since I knew about her husband. by any chance were you telling other employees about her husband? That's the only reason that makes any sense to me. Even if you weren't, that still doesn't make your termination illegal. If you weren't talking about this, it makes your employer's rationale impossible to understand but it's still legal.

How simply knowing about something that is a matter of public record is, in your employer's mind, a reason to terminate you is nuts. Are you sure there's not more to the story???