California Court Nixes Wrongful Termination Claim by Manager Who Refused to Cooperate in Employer’s Investigation

Affirming the dismissal of a manager’s wrongful termination and gender discrimination claims, the California Court of Appeal has held that an at-will employee may be terminated for being uncooperative or deceptive in an employer’s internal investigation of a discrimination claim. McGrory v. Applied Signal Technology, Inc., No. H036597 (Cal. Ct. App. Jan. 24, 2013). The Court also rejected the employee’s defamation claim, finding that the employer’s statements regarding the reasons for the employee’s termination were conditionally privileged.