WAUSAU, Wis. (WSAU) -- A group that supports legal gun owner’s rights is helping a Wausau man in his lawsuit against his former employer.
Wisconsin Carry Inc. President Nik Clark Told a Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reporter their group is paying the upfront costs to support Ethan Shepherd, who is suing Kolbe & Kolbe Millwork Company, Inc. in a wrongful discharge action.
Shepherd was fired from Kolbe & Kolbe in March after human resources officials discovered that Shepherd had both a conceal carry license and a firearm in his car. Shepherd claims that he showed the gun to a co-worker after work inside the vehicle. Kolbe & Kolbe terminated him for that. Shepherd is seeking reinstatement and back pay, claiming the dismissal is in violation of Wisconsin’s Act 35, the concealed carry law. That law says employers may not prohibit a licensee from having the gun or ammunition in their personal car, even if it’s parked on the employer’s property.
Clark says the Kolbe & Kolbe human resources official insists Shepherd had the weapon outside of his car, which he and witnesses claim is false. Wisconsin Carry, Inc. says they tried to reach an out of court agreement, but have not been successful.
Clark says Shepherd was a model employee for the door and window manufacturer, and was even praised by supervisors the very day he was fired.