By Alfred Villoch, III, Esquire, with Savage, Combs, & Villoch, PLLC
No. An employer is strictly prohibited from terminating your employment or discriminating against you in any way solely because you filed bankruptcy. Section 525 of the Bankruptcy Code is entitled “Protection against discriminatory treatment.” Subsection (b) specifically states that no private employer may terminate the employment of, or discriminate with respect to employment against, an individual who filed bankruptcy simply because he or she filed bankruptcy.
Similarly, if your employment requires a license or permit, for example, a doctor, nurse, lawyer, or financial adviser, the governmental unit that issues such license or permit cannot deny, revoke, suspend, or refuse to renew such license or permit simply because you filed bankruptcy. 11 U.S.C. § 525(a). By way of further example, a state medical licensing board cannot revoke a doctor’s license to practice medicine simple because the doctor filed bankruptcy.