Wells Fargo Fires Branch Manager For Carrying A Gun

Wells Fargo Bank fired Tampa-area branch manager Ivette Ros for bring a gun to work, and now she’s suing the financial giant.

Ros, 37, a single mother of three and a licensed concealed carry gun owner, said she had the 9mm pistol in case she ever need to protect her employees from bank robbers. She sometimes kept the legal handgun locked up in her car, while on other occasions it was in her purse or concealed under her clothes. The weapon was never openly displayed it inside the bank according to Ros. Someone eventually spotted it, however, and reported it to Wells Fargo executives. After an investigation, Wells Fargo terminated her employment for violating its ban on bringing weapons into a branch.

Ros’ lawsuit claims that she was fired for exercising her Second Amendment rights. While not commenting on the legal action specifically, a Wells Fargo spokesperson explained that “the company has clear rules prohibiting employees from bringing weapons onto its premises.”

Said Ros: “I am within my constitutional right. The bank is one of the places that I am able to carry a weapon to. My weapon was concealed. I have a certified license.”

In general, a private employer can establish any work rule it sees fit, provided that there is no violation of law. It remains to be seen whether the Wells Fargo policy implicates a constitutional violation of the right to keep and bear arms.

Back in the days of the Old West, Wells Fargo agents always carried six-shooters and rifles while “riding shotgun” on gold-transporting stagecoaches.

Separately, as The Inquisitr previously reported, a Texas man wearing a pro-Second Amendment T-shirt was temporarily turned away from the voting booth until he covered up the logo with a jacket.

Do you think Wells Fargo was justified in terminating the branch manager for her legal concealed weapon?

[image credit: Billy Hathorn]