Former employee alleges VW wrongfully fired him for having gun in car

Staff file Photo / The Chattanooga Volkswagen plant is pictured. A former VW employee who also worked as a reserve deputy for the Hamilton County Sheriff's Office has sued Volkswagen, claiming the company illegally fired him for having a gun in his vehicle. Staff file Photo / The Chattanooga Volkswagen plant is pictured. A former VW employee who also worked as a reserve deputy for the Hamilton County Sheriff's Office has sued Volkswagen, claiming the company illegally fired him for having a gun in his vehicle.

By David Floyd March 24, 2026 3 min read

A former reserve deputy with the Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office alleges he was wrongfully fired from his job at Volkswagen after he voluntarily disclosed to company security that he had a firearm in his car, according to a lawsuit in federal court.

Luis Rivera, a 14-year employee at the automaker, drove his vehicle to the Volkswagen facility to retrieve personal property after attending in-service training with the Sheriff’s Office on June 10, the lawsuit said. Inside his car, Rivera had his department-issued duty gear, including his firearm.

The weapon was unloaded and secured in a double-locked holster, “consistent with safety protocols and Tennessee law,” the lawsuit said.

When he arrived at Gate 1 at about 11:40 a.m. that day, a security guard told Rivera that his vehicle would be searched, according to the complaint. Rivera “immediately and voluntarily disclosed” that his duty gear, including his firearm, was in the automobile.