Michael Jaeger Missouri Cases

Michael Jaeger, a former employee of Resources for Human Development, Inc. (RHD), appealed the dismissal of his petition for wrongful termination. Jaeger alleged he was fired for reporting RHD's unlawful instructions regarding a developmentally disabled client's rights to EITAS, a governmental funding agency. The appellate court reversed the trial court's dismissal, holding that Jaeger's petition sufficiently stated a claim under the public policy exception to at-will employment, as he reported a violation of EITAS's rules intended to protect vulnerable clients. The case was remanded for further proceedings.

Michael Jaeger sued Resources for Human Development, Inc. (RHD) for wrongful termination and slander. The circuit court granted RHD's motion to dismiss the wrongful termination counts, and Jaeger voluntarily dismissed the remaining count before appealing. The appellate court dismissed the appeal, holding that the circuit court's order was not a final, appealable judgment because it failed to comply with Rule 74.01(a)'s requirement that it be denominated "judgment" or "decree."