DOL Found Frontier Dodge Interfered With Veteran Employee’s FMLA Rights Before Disputed Termination

DOL Found Frontier Dodge Interfered With Veteran Employee’s FMLA Rights Before Disputed Termination

Federal investigators cited 4 problems with the dealership’s handling of medical leave, while a separate firearm allegation remains contested.

A U.S. Department of Labor investigation found that Frontier Dodge in Lubbock interfered with a longtime employee’s rights under the Family and Medical Leave Act before terminating him in May.

According to a Wage and Hour Division investigative narrative dated July 13, 2026, Spirit Automotive, LLLP, doing business as Frontier Dodge Chrysler Jeep Ram, was cited for an FMLA violation involving its treatment of former employee Jared Knight.

Knight said he worked for Frontier Dodge and AutoInc for approximately 13 years, eventually becoming a sales manager. He is also a disabled Air Force combat veteran with service connected PTSD who had been approved for intermittent FMLA leave.

The DOL investigation confirmed that Knight was an eligible employee, had worked the required number of hours and was employed by a company covered by the FMLA.

What federal investigators found

The DOL cited Frontier Dodge for 1 FMLA violation supported by 4 separate findings:

1. Requiring Knight to take FMLA leave in full day increments. 2. Requiring him to give up a scheduled day off if he used FMLA leave earlier in the same week. 3. Initially failing to approve his leave and disciplining him when his medical certification was delayed because his doctor needed additional time to complete it. 4. Requiring Knight to request leave by telephone despite text messaging having previously been an established and accepted method of communicating with management.

Federal guidance allows medically necessary FMLA leave to be used intermittently or through a reduced work schedule. It may be used in full weeks, single days, hours or, in some cases, portions of an hour. (dol.gov, dol.gov)

The report says Frontier gave Knight an FMLA eligibility notice on March 18 and requested medical certification by April 1. When the form was not completed by the deadline, Store Manager John Justice issued Knight a disciplinary notice on April 6 for an absence the company considered unapproved.

Knight reportedly explained that the delay was outside his control because his physician had not completed the form. Investigators found that he made diligent, good faith efforts to meet the deadline.

DOL guidance states that an employee who makes those efforts but cannot meet the certification deadline is entitled to additional time, and the employer may not deny the leave solely because the certification was late under those circumstances. (dol.gov)

Investigators concluded that disciplining Knight over the delayed certification interfered with his FMLA rights.

Disputed leave agreement

On April 27, Frontier Dodge presented Knight with a Leave Use and Notification Agreement.

According to the DOL report, the agreement required Knight to use full days of FMLA leave and stated that if he used leave before his scheduled day off, that scheduled day would be used as his FMLA day.

Knight refused to sign it because he believed those conditions restricted his federally protected leave.

Investigators agreed that the requirements created improper restrictions. The report also noted that Frontier’s employee handbook did not establish those specific full day requirements.

Federal investigators further found that text messaging had been routinely used and accepted between Knight and management for attendance notifications, medical updates, emergencies, schedule changes and other workplace matters.

The report says Knight was not disciplined for using text messages until after the leave agreement was introduced. Investigators concluded that suddenly requiring telephone calls created an unnecessary barrier to Knight’s use of FMLA leave.

Employers may generally require workers to follow their usual and customary procedures for requesting leave. However, the DOL report found that texting had been Frontier’s established practice with Knight before the dispute. (webapps.dol.gov, dol.gov)

Firearm allegation remains disputed

The central dispute surrounding Knight’s termination involves Frontier Dodge’s allegation that a firearm was discovered inside his backpack.

According to the company’s account summarized in the DOL report, Justice entered Knight’s office on April 28 while Knight was away, noticed that a black backpack felt unusually heavy and opened it. Frontier alleged that a small semiautomatic pistol equipped with an optic was discovered inside.

Knight categorically denies that a firearm was ever inside the backpack.

“There was no photograph provided to me showing a firearm in my bag and, to my knowledge, no contemporaneous incident report or other objective evidence establishing that allegation,” Knight said.

Knight also disputes that a legitimate inspection happened in the manner described. He said the company’s handbook included inspection procedures that contemplated the employee being present. The DOL narrative, however, records Frontier’s position that its security policy allowed management to inspect personal items brought onto company property with or without notice.

Knight said the firearm described by Frontier was consistent with his wife’s SIG Sauer P365 XL, which he said was inside her vehicle while it was being serviced at the dealership.

“That firearm weighs only about 25 ounces, which also raises questions for me about the claim that the bag’s supposedly unusual weight prompted the alleged search,” Knight said.

Knight said the backpack contained his medical records and PTSD journal.

The DOL report explicitly states that its investigation could not definitively confirm or refute whether Knight had a firearm on Frontier Dodge property.

Records give more than 1 explanation for firing

Frontier Dodge officially terminated Knight on May 12.

The DOL report records Frontier’s position that the alleged firearm violated its strict weapons policy and was the primary reason for Knight’s termination. The report also says insubordination and Knight’s refusal to sign the leave agreement were listed as contributing factors.

However, another section of the DOL narrative says Justice told investigators that Knight was fired because he refused to telephone management when requesting leave and continued using text messages.

Knight said Frontier’s filing with the Texas Workforce Commission also identified his alleged failure to call rather than text on May 4 as the “final incident” leading to his discharge, while listing the firearm allegation as an additional basis.

Knight said he contacted the Department of Labor on May 4, was placed on administrative leave May 5 and was terminated May 12.

Those dates raise questions about the sequence of events, but the DOL report did not conclude that Knight was fired in retaliation for contacting the agency. Investigators limited their substantiated findings to Frontier’s interference with his FMLA rights.

DOL characterized violations as procedural

During a final conference on July 7, federal investigators informed Frontier Dodge that it had been cited for violating FMLA protections.

The DOL described the problems as administrative and procedural rather than intentional misconduct or malice. The report did not award back wages or make a finding of legal liability related to Knight’s firing.

According to the investigative narrative, Frontier’s attorney was receptive to the findings and said the company was implementing changes to bring its leave policies into closer compliance with federal requirements.

The report also reiterated Frontier’s position that the termination resulted from enforcement of its weapons policy rather than the FMLA issues.

Knight maintains that the firearm allegation is false and that the company’s records contain conflicting explanations for why he was fired.

The DOL’s findings establish that Frontier Dodge interfered with Knight’s FMLA rights. They do not resolve whether a firearm was actually inside his backpack or whether his termination was unlawful.

Knight said he possesses additional termination documents, TWC filings, company policies, text messages, emails, medical documentation and a detailed timeline supporting his account.