Can you get fired for bigotry?

(KMSP) - At least three people in Minneapolis have been fired from their jobs in the last 48 hours over their association with white supremacy groups.

Fox 9 looked into the issue of whether it is legal or not to fire someone for expressing their extremist views.

It is legal for private companies to fire someone for racist views, especially for those shared on social media. That's what happened recently to three workers in the Twin Cities.

Aaron Davis is a prominent attorney for Patterson Thuente in downtown Minneapolis, but as of Wednesday afternoon his bio is no longer on the firm's website. He's now on indefinite administrative leave after he was outed for his ties to a neo-Nazi music label.

In a statement to Fox 9 the law firm says in part, "As a firm, we are in no way affiliated with any of Mr. Davis' outside pursuits...we are committed to conducting our business ethically and with integrity. Hate, bigotry and intolerance have no place in our society."

No one answered when we knocked at Davis' home. The record label that he's behind, Behold Barbarity Records and Distro, is considered hate speech by the Southern Poverty Law Center for its racist lyrics.

"What this shows us is that there is no freedom of speech in the workplace," said Ben Kwan, an attorney for employees and whistle blowers.

Kwan says it was legal when those who associated with white supremacy groups in Charlottesville lost their jobs. He says the recent firings across the country should be a warning for everyone.

"Nothing in the Constitution and very few state laws across the country say that employers cannot fire you for the beliefs you espouse in your speech and that today includes anything online," said Kwan.

Uptown Diner eventually decided to fire two of its workers after pictures surfaced on Facebook Tuesday showing a man and woman dressed in neo-Nazi symbols. The photos caused an uproar online. In a post on the restaurant's Facebook page the owner wrote in part "The Uptown Diner unequivocally denounces the beliefs and ideals of neo-Nazis and white supremacy. Hate and bigotry have no place in society."

A friend of the couple says they are homeless and the man has Asperger's syndrome. She emailed Fox 9, claiming the two were part of a World War II re-enactment production saying, "No white supremacy going on, just a bunch of history buffs getting together, getting dressed up."

While it may be legal for a private company to fire a worker for their views, the situation is different for government jobs as there are more protections for the worker.