Sovereign Immunity Doesn't Shield School District From Retaliation Claim

The Missouri Court of Appeals ruled that sovereign immunity did not protect a public school district from an employee’s retaliatory discharge claim. Case: Poke v. Independence School District, No. WD84198, 09/07/2021, published. Facts: Travis Poke worked for the Independence School District as a custodian. In December 2019, Poke injured his lower abdomen and groin while attempting to fold a cafeteria table. Poke worked through his pain for the next three days until a scheduled holiday break. When Poke returned to work on Jan. 2, 2020, his pain had decreased, but he had a knot in...