I work (worked?) in a surveillance department. My bosses all knew that I was very competent with hardware, software, and networking so they would routinely ask me for help with things.
An IT position opened up in the department, and I was elated. I could get a $4 an hour raise for doing what i like to do.
Other associates, who were far less qualified, also put in for the position and we all had to wait for interviews.
Two days before my interview, during one of my breaks, i opened a command prompt and ran some diagnostic commands to help me understand how the network was set up. I wanted to have an edge at the interview because I could specifically talk about how our network is laid out and discuss the hardware installed on the machines.
I only used diagnostic commands.
ipconfig /all
tracert
nbtstat
netstat
arp -a
Long story short, my supervisor (whom had also put in for the position, and was far less qualified, he didnt even know how to install a wireless router in his home) turned me for "hacking the network".
HR gets involved, they don't know a damn thing about networking. They take statements from both of us. I ask them to go to IT to verify that I did nothing wrong. They don't.
Boss fires me for "tampering with surveillance equipment" while he is on vacation.
I now have no job and don't know how i am going to pay rent next month. Awesome. I have never been fired from a job in my life. I have never even been in trouble with an employer before.
On a side note, one of the other employees INSTALLED AN UNSECURED WIRELESS ROUTER ON THE CORPORATE NETWORK IN SURVEILLANCE , GOT CAUGHT, and nothing happened to him.
Is this wrongful termination? I don't know how the law works.
Updates with some FAQs:
I will not be allowed to take unemployment because i was fired for misconduct.
Getting another job in this field may not be easy because of the bad reference.
Upon conversation with another employee tonight, I learned that the boss that fired me leaked that he was going to fire me before my statement was even taken by HR.
I may have been fired for being an Atheist in the bible belt. I have proof that someone did much worse things with the network (i didn't do anything wrong) and he was promoted. He is the same religion as the boss that fired me.