The head of a Minnesota law firm fired two employees he decided were “racist” — because of social media posts supportive of police or former President Donald Trump, a new lawsuit claims.
The wrongful termination suit, filed in Stearns County District Court, alleges Wesley Scott, president of the Kain & Scott law firm in St. Cloud, was angered by the Jan. 6 riot at the US Capitol and sent an email in April to the firm’s attorneys saying that the “traitors” who stormed the building that day should have been shot, the Minneapolis Star Tribune reported.
Scott then told the firm’s operations manager to terminate two employees he deemed “racist” due to the pro-Trump posts on their social media accounts — as well as other messages that backed law enforcement officials, the lawsuit claims.
Scott then fired the manager when she refused to terminate the employees and proceeded to fire another employee while threatening to let go of another, according to the complaint.
Three partners at the firm — William Kain, Margaret Henehan and Kelsey Quarberg — later confronted Scott over the firings, telling him it violated state law to fire employees due to their political beliefs, the suit states.
In response, Scott fired the partners, even calling St. Cloud police to get Quarberg removed from the office, alleging she was trespassing and physically threatening him.
Scott also changed the locks on the offices and cut off his former partners’ email accounts, according to the suit.
The former partners at the firm specializing in bankruptcy cases are now suing Scott for wrongful termination, claiming he accused them of plotting a “coup” against him, the lawsuit claims.
“We have three employees … who are way over the top violating everything that is dear to us and I won’t let that happen,” Scott allegedly told staffers during a meeting on the firings, saying the partners were let go for insubordination.
Scott told the Star Tribune on Tuesday he had no comment, saying he had not read the lawsuit. Messages seeking comment from Scott and the St. Cloud office were not immediately returned early Thursday.
Quarberg, meanwhile, told the Star Tribune she and her former partners were told by their attorney not to comment on the filing.