Johnson v. Cincy Automall, Inc.

**What happened:** A female employee at Cincy Automall claimed she was fired for complaining about workplace safety issues, including COVID-19 hazards and a mice infestation. She had filed complaints both with her employer and with OSHA (the federal workplace safety agency). She also alleged she faced sex discrimination during her employment. The employer argued her claims had no merit and asked the court to dismiss the case without a trial. **What the court decided:** The Ohio appeals court sided with the employee and reversed a lower court's decision to dismiss her case. The court ruled that she had valid claims for wrongful firing based on her safety complaints and for sex discrimination. The court found that even though she was an at-will employee (meaning she could normally be fired for almost any reason), firing her for making good-faith safety complaints violated public policy. The court also determined the employer failed to prove there was no discrimination. **Why this matters for workers:** This ruling reinforces that employees cannot be fired for reporting legitimate workplace safety concerns to OSHA, even if they're at-will employees. It also shows that employers must provide strong evidence when defending against discrimination claims in court.