On June 15, 2026, the Colorado Supreme Court held that employees may bring wrongful termination claims if they are discharged for actions lawfully taken in self-defense—even if their employers’ policies prohibit confrontations—because the right to self-defense “is not left at the door simply because a person enters the workplace.”

Quick Hits

• The Colorado Supreme Court ruled that employees may bring wrongful termination claims if fired for acting in self-defense, even if their lawful exercise of the right to self-defense violates employer policies prohibiting confrontations.
• The court identified a public-policy exception to at-will employment, emphasizing that termination cannot penalize employees for exercising their statutory and constitutional right of self-defense.
• The decision highlights potential wrongful termination liability for employers if they discharge employees for lawful actions taken in self-defense in the workplace.

Answering a certified question from the U.S. District Court for the District of Colorado, the Colorado Supreme Court issued a landmark 5–2 ruling, holding that the right to self-defense, as expressed by both statute and the Colorado Constitution, supports a public-policy exception to the doctrine of at-will employment.

The certified question stemmed from a wrongful termination lawsuit filed by a convenience store employee after she was discharged following her response to an alleged armed robbery. The certified question was:

Does Colorado law...

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