Luis Rivera, who worked at Volkswagen’s Chattanooga assembly plant and serves as a reserve deputy with the Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office as a side job, is suing the automaker, which fired him from his job for having a firearm in his private car. Rivera argues that his termination was unlawful under Tennessee’s gun protection law.
According to the complaint, which was reported by News9, Rivera had just completed sheriff’s office training and had stopped at the plant to collect personal items. The belongings also included his department gear and a handgun, which was unloaded and stored safely in a holster inside his vehicle, as per Tennessee’s gun law.
Plant security was also informed about the handgun in the car by Rivera. However, according to Volkswagen’s policies, it prohibits weapons on the plant’s secure premises, even if they are stored in a vehicle parked inside the plant. A reported search of his car revealed the firearm…