Missouri Court of Appeals, Eastern District / Dec 14, 2021
Jimmy Yount, Appellant, vs. Keller Motors, Inc., Respondent.
Jimmy Yount sued his former employer, Keller Motors, Inc., alleging wrongful discharge under the Whistleblower's Protection Act (WPA) after reporting co-employee theft. The circuit court dismissed his petition, finding that reporting co-employee misconduct did not qualify him as a "protected person" under the WPA. The Eastern District reversed, holding that the WPA's definition of "employer" must be interpreted to include unlawful acts or serious misconduct of co-employees to harmonize with the legislature's intent to codify existing common-law whistleblower protections.