Court Opinion

ID: 9667201
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-24 01:38:09.267982+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T18:15:35.892250
License: Public Domain

ON APPELLEE’S MOTION FOR REHEARING EN BANC
Before the court en banc.
TIJERINA, Justice joined by ESQUIV-EL, Justice.
The motion for rehearing en banc was denied. Nevertheless, I remain in disagreement with the majority’s holding.
Appellant himself testified that he felt free to leave at any time; thus, his employment contract was terminable at will. Texas courts have consistently held that an employer may discharge an employee for any reason, regardless of motives. Thompson, Is Anybody Afraid of Good Cause? TRIAL LAWYERS FORUM, July-Sept. 1985, at 15. The Texas Supreme Court has recently recognized a narrow public policy exception to the employment-at-will doctrine; an at-will employee cannot be fired for refusing to participate in an illegal activity. Sabine Pilots v. Hauck, 687 S.W.2d 733 (Tex.1985). However, that exception has no applicability here. In the absence of illegality, the at-will employment doctrine remains the law in Texas. See East *227Line & R.R.R. Co. v. Scott, 72 Tex. 70, 10 S.W. 99 (1888).
Accordingly, I would grant appellee’s motion for rehearing and affirm the decision of the trial court.