By of the

A Wausau man has sued his former employer, a major manufacturer of windows and doors, claiming it violated Wisconsin's gun law when it fired him for having a gun in his car.

Ethan Shepherd's lawsuit, filed in Marathon County Circuit Court, claims that in March, someone from the human resources department at Kolbe & Kolbe Millwork Co., Inc., asked him if he had a concealed carry license and a firearm in his car.

Shepherd said those were personal questions, but the answer to both was yes. He was then asked if he had shown his gun to anyone at work, and he said he had, inside his own car, after work. Shepherd was then fired.

His lawsuit says his termination violates a section of Wisconsin's 2011 concealed carry law, known as Act 35.

Section 175.60(15m)(b) - An employer may not prohibit a licensee or an out-of-state licensee, as a condition of employment, from carrying a concealed weapon, a particular type of concealed weapon, or ammunition or from storing a weapon, a particular type of weapon, or ammunition in the licensee's or out-of-state licensee's own motor vehicle, regardless of whether the motor vehicle is used in the course of employment or whether the motor vehicle is driven or parked on property used by the employer.

Shepherd's suit seeks his reinstatement with back pay, a declaration that Kolbe can't take "negative job action" against employees with concealed carry licenses who keep a gun in their private vehicle, even while parked at Kolbe, and his costs of litigation.

The group Wisconsin Carry, Inc. is paying the upfront costs of the lawsuit, said president Nik Clark. He said when Kolbe officials were first contacted about Shepherd's incident, they said he had his gun outside his car, which Shepherd denies.

"I think this case should put companies on notice to review their corporate policies and make sure they don't expose themselves to legal jeopardy," Clark said. "Many companies have out-of-date policies. An unknowing HR manager who relies on a legacy corporate policy could cost a company a great deal of money and bad press as well."

Shepherd's attorney is gun rights specialist John Monroe of Georgia, who has represented several other Wisconsin gun owners in cases over arrests resulting from openly carrying guns, and has secured multiple settlements from municipalities.

The news media contact for Kolbe did not return messages Tuesday.