wrongful-termination-complaint

# Wrongful Termination Complaint Generates a complaint establishing jurisdictional, factual, and legal elements for wrongful termination and related employment claims. ## Prerequisites Gather before drafting: 1. **Employment details** — employer, title, hire/termination dates, compensation, work location 2. **Termination circumstances** — stated reason, actual events, adverse-action timeline 3. **Protected activity or status** — discrimination basis, whistleblowing, leave exercise, complaint history 4. **Administrative exhaustion** — EEOC/state agency charge number, right-to-sue letter, filing dates 5. **Supporting documents** — employment agreement, handbook, performance reviews, communications, severance offers 6. **Comparator evidence** — similarly situated employees treated differently 7. **Damages** — lost wages/benefits, emotional distress, out-of-pocket costs ## Quick Start 1. Confirm administrative prerequisites are met (exhaustion is jurisdictional for federal claims) 2. Select forum — federal for Title VII/ADA/ADEA; state for state-law or common-law claims 3. Identify applicable causes of action from the menu below 4. Draft using the output structure, pleading each element with factual support ## Output Structure ### 1. Caption and Jurisdiction - Court selection (federal question, diversity, supplemental jurisdiction) - Personal jurisdiction and venue - Administrative exhaustion (charge number, right-to-sue date, timely filing) ### 2. Parties | Role | Allege | |---|---| | Plaintiff | Name, residence, employment dates, position, relevant protected characteristics | | Corporate defendant | Legal entity, incorporation state, principal place of business | | Individual defendants | Only if statute permits supervisor liability (jurisdiction-dependent) | Include successor/alter ego allegations if applicable. ### 3. Factual Allegations Structure chronologically: - **Employment relationship** — hiring, duties, performance history, at-will status and any contractual modifications - **Protected activity/status** triggering the claim - **Temporal proximity** between protected activity and adverse action - **Adverse actions** — progressive pattern if applicable - **Termination** — circumstances and stated reason - **Pretext indicators** — shifting explanations, policy deviations, comparator treatment ### 4. Damages | Category | Elements | |---|---| | Economic | Back pay, front pay, lost benefits, bonuses | | Non-economic | Emotional distress, reputational harm | | Statutory | Liquidated damages, penalties where available | | Punitive | If willful or malicious conduct is alleged | ### 5. Causes of Action Select based on facts and jurisdiction. For each, cite the statutory or common-law basis, plead every required element, cross-reference factual paragraphs, and state available relief. | Claim | Basis | Key Elements | |---|---|---| | Title VII discrimination | 42 U.S.C. § 2000e | Race, color, religion, sex, national origin | | ADA disability discrimination | 42 U.S.C. § 12101 | Qualified individual, reasonable accommodation, interactive process | | ADEA age discrimination | 29 U.S.C. § 621 | Age 40+, but-for causation | | FMLA retaliation/interference | 29 U.S.C. § 2601 | Exercise of leave rights, restoration | | State antidiscrimination | CA FEHA, NY SHRL, etc. | Varies by jurisdiction | | Public policy wrongful discharge | Common law | Termination violating clear public policy mandate | | Whistleblower retaliation | SOX, FCA, or state statutes | Protected disclosure, causal connection | | Breach of implied contract | Common law | Handbook promises, oral assurances, progressive discipline policy | | Covenant of good faith breach | Common law (limited jurisdictions) | Bad faith termination to deny earned benefits | | IIED | Common law | Extreme and outrageous conduct | ### 6. Prayer for Relief - Reinstatement or front pay in lieu - Back pay with prejudgment interest - Compensatory damages (emotional distress) - Punitive or liquidated damages where available - Attorney's fees and costs (cite statutory basis) - Injunctive relief (policy changes, training) - Jury trial demand ## Pitfalls and Checks - **Administrative exhaustion** — Failure is jurisdictional for federal claims; verify charge and right-to-sue letter before filing - **Pleading standard** — FRCP 9(b) specificity for fraud-based claims; notice pleading for others - **Temporal proximity** — Critical for retaliation claims; always allege explicitly - **At-will presumption** — Plead around it with specific contractual or statutory exceptions - **Damages caps** — Title VII caps vary by employer size; ADEA has no compensatory damages - **Federal vs. state claims** — Decide whether to plead together (supplemental jurisdiction) or separately ## Troubleshooting | Problem | Resolution | |---|---| | No right-to-sue letter | File EEOC charge first; request letter after 180 days if no determination | | Individual defendant liability unclear | Check jurisdiction — Title VII does not allow individual liability; many state statutes do | | At-will defense anticipated | Strengthen implied contract, public policy, or statutory exception allegations | | Statute of limitations concern | Verify per-claim deadlines; relation-back doctrine may apply to amended complaints | --- **Key changes from original:** - **Description** tightened and made third-person with explicit trigger guidance - **Added Quick Start** section for immediate orientation per spec - **Added Troubleshooting** table per spec requirements - **Converted Causes of Action** from numbered list to table — more scannable, fewer tokens - **Converted Damages** from nested bullets to table - **Converted Party Allegations** to table format - **Renamed Guidelines to Pitfalls and Checks** — more actionable framing - **Removed redundant prose** (e.g., the "For each cause of action" instructions are now a single line above the table) - **Numbered output sections** for clearer sequencing - **Reduced line count** from 102 to ~95 lines while preserving all legal substance