Human resource professionals who regularly rely on the doctrine of at-will employment should take note of a recent decision by the 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, a ruling that illustrates the fragility of that doctrine. The appellate court held not only that a collective bargaining agreement (CBA) prohibited the school district from discharging its employees without cause, but also that a violation of that clause entitled a school district employee to pursue a legal claim for violation of his constitutional rights.
