http://www.legalmatch.com/law-library/article/wrongful-terminations.html
Exceptions to an At-Will Employment Termination
An employer can fire an at-will employee for any reason, except for the following:
•Discrimination - The employer cannot terminate employment because the employee is a certain race, nationality, religion, sex, age, or in some states, sexual orientation.
•Retaliation - An employer cannot fire an employee because the employee filed a claim of discrimination or is participating in an investigation for discrimination. This "retaliation" is forbidden under civil rights law.
•Contractual Employees - Generally, an employee with an employment contract can only be terminated for the reasons stated in the contract. Employment contracts for specified periods of time or permitting terminations only for specific reasons are rare today.
•Illegal Acts - An employer is not permitted to fire an employee because the employee refuses to commit an act that is illegal.
•Family or Medical Leave - Federal law permits most employees to take a leave of absence for specific family or medical problems. An employer is not permitted to fire an employee who takes family or medical leave for a reason outlined in the Family and Medical Leave Act.
•Not Following Your Own Termination Procedure - Often, the employee handbook or company policy outlines a procedure that must be followed before an employee is terminated. If the employer fires an employee without following this procedure, the employee may have a claim for wrongful termination.
The only possible shot in this case is Intel not following its own procedures, if it could be proven.