Opinion ID: 428311
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Bad Faith Termination of an Employee at Will

Text: 50 In Count II of his complaint, Stepanischen sought recovery under Massachusetts law protecting at-will employees from bad faith termination of employment. The district court granted summary judgment on this count to MDT, because plaintiff had not presented any proof either that MDT discharged Stepanischen to avoid payment of compensation which would otherwise be due to Stepanischen or that MDT's reason for the discharge violated public policy. See Siles v. Travenol Laboratories, Inc., 13 Mass.App.Ct. 354, 358, 433 N.E.2d 103 (1982). 51 A discharge motivated by anti-union animus would violate public policy. The district court relied on its grant of summary judgment to MDT on the Railway Labor Act claim to hold that MDT's actions did not violate public policy. Given our reversal of the district court's award of summary judgment on the Railway Labor Act claim, we accordingly reverse the district court's entry of summary judgment in favor of MDT on Stepanischen's charge of bad faith termination.