Employer – Employee : Wrongful Termination – At-Will Employees – Fire Chiefs

Where three fire chiefs brought procedural due process claims challenging the manner of their terminations, the existence of the district’s internal rules did not imply an enforceable employment contract, so the chiefs were at-will employees and had no property interest in continued employment, and the chiefs’ claim that public statements damaged their reputations also failed because they did not identify any admissible evidence showing a sufficiently stigmatizing statement.

Judgment is affirmed.

Crews v. Monarch Fire Protection District (MLW No. 67148/Case No. 13-3070 – 11 pages) (U.S. Court of Appeals, 8^th Circuit, Riley, J.) Appealed from U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Missouri, Sippel, J. (Joe David Jacobson, St Louis, argued for appellant; Allen P. Press appeared on the brief) (Steven James Hughes, St Louis, argued for appellee; Robyn G. Fox and Natalie J. Higgins appeared on the brief).

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