ST. PAUL -- The Minnesota Court of Appeals has ruled in favor of a Brooklyn Center man who was fired for insubordination. Douglas G. Williams is eligible for unemployment insurance benefits, even though he said a manager could “go (expletive) himself.”
The three-judge panel ruled Tuesday that Williams was "not disqualified from receiving unemployment insurance benefits because his conduct was a single incident that did not have a significant adverse impact on the employer."
Williams, 56, was washing cars at Brooklyn Center Motors in March 2006 when a lot manager told him the sales manager wanted him to clean up some garbage. Williams said he was busy and the sales manager could go "(expletive) himself," according to court documents. The lot manager reported the comments and the sales manager fired Williams for insubordination.
The company rejected an unemployment claim filed by Williams, so he went to the state Court of Appeals.
"I realized it was an uphill fight," Williams said about the decision. "I am kind of speechless. This is great."
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