Colorado’s highest court has ruled that a private company cannot dismiss an at-will employee simply for using lawful self-defense while working. The decision came from the Colorado Supreme Court on Monday, June 15, 2026, and it was decided by a 5-2 vote.
The case, Moreno v. Circle K Stores, Inc., centered on whether an employer’s policies and liability concerns can override an individual’s right to protect themselves from immediate danger. The court’s ruling makes clear that when a worker responds lawfully to an imminent threat, that act cannot be treated as grounds for termination.
In its opinion, the court emphasized that self-defense is not a privilege that disappears when someone clocks in. The justices concluded that a person’s fundamental constitutional protections remain intact in the workplace, even in an at-will employment relationship.
The ruling also addressed the argument that corporate risk management and insurance-driven rules should control how workers respond during emergencies. The court rejected the idea that liability policies can be used to strip workers of basic rights, underscoring that private employers do not get to nullify constitutional protections through internal rules.
For employees across Colorado, the decision establishes a clearer boundary between workplace policies and individual rights. From a libertarian perspective, the outcome reinforces a core principle: individuals retain the right to defend their lives, and private corporate policies cannot lawfully punish people for exercising that right when facing imminent danger.
