Monthly Archives: July 2015
IRS, Former Employees Oppose Liberty Medical Bankruptcy Plan
On June 10, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) alleged that the proposed Chapter 11 liquidation plan of Liberty Medical Supply Inc. restricts the federal agency’s rights to recover funds it is owed. Former employees of Liberty Medical, a provider of supplies for diabetics, have also criticized the plan, which they claim would allow the company […]
Whistleblower Retaliation Protections Upheld in Sixth Circuit
The Sixth Circuit of Appeals confirmed financial planner Michael Rhinehimer’s $250,000 award in his lawsuit against his former employer, U.S. Bancorp, for retaliation against a complaint. Through affirming Rhinehimer’s case, the Sixth Circuit has upheld Section 1514A of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, which allows a whistleblower to act and be protected if the individual has reasonable […]
Hodgson Russ to Continue Involvement in Sexual Harassment Suit
A U.S. Magistrate, Judge Leslie G. Foschio, decided on June 10 that Hodgson Russ LLP would continue to be allowed to defend New York charter bus company, Carrier Coach Inc., and the company’s owner against accusations of sexual harassment. A Carrier Coach Inc. employee, Jessica Grundstrom, had protested the firm’s involvement in the lawsuit, alleging […]
Recent Tax Court Decision Considered a Win for Whistleblowers
A tax court recently ruled that giving information to federal agencies and a division of the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) before filing an Application for Award for Original Information (also known as Form 211) does not make a whistleblower ineligible to receive an award. There is a whistleblower program in place that provides compensation to […]
Police Officer Awarded $145,000 in Whistleblower Lawsuit
A police officer from Millburn, New Jersey was recently awarded $145,000 in a whistleblower lawsuit against the city. Sergeant Robert Ronceray initially filed the complaint in June 2013 against the Millburn Township and the Millburn Police Department under the Conscientious Employee Protection Act. According to documents from the suit, Ronceray claimed another officer ordered him […]
Whistleblower Reinstatement Highlights Need for Companies to Keep Detailed Files on Personnel
In 2012, a jury ruled that Bayer Corporation had unlawfully terminated one of its sales representatives, Mike Townsend, because he alerted the Arkansas Attorney General to incidents of physicians overbilling Medicaid for the company’s drugs. Just before the company fired Townsend, it had suspended his corporate credit card for six months after his wife accidentally […]
OSHA Clarifies Standards for Whistleblower Investigations
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has issued a new memo to clarify the investigative standards it has in place for its whistleblower investigations. There are more than 20 whistleblower protection laws subject to OSHA enforcement. The agency investigates whistleblower retaliation complaints that come through and puts forth merit findings whenever there is any […]
President Obama Proposes Major Changes to Overtime
President Barack Obama recently proposed raising the threshold for overtime salary to $50,400 in an op-ed he penned for the Huffington Post. Currently, the threshold is less than half that amount — set at $23,660 per year. That amount is currently below what is considered to be the poverty line for a family of four. […]
Whistleblower Awarded $80,000 in Punitive Damages
A recent case, Peasley v. Regis Corporation, resulted in a jury awarding $80,000 in punitive damages to the plaintiff, a hair stylist named Valerie Peasley. The claim was filed under the Maine Whistleblower Protection Act. Peasley says she reported to the manager of her salon that some of her coworkers had been selling and using […]
Whistleblowers Big Winners After OSHA Obtains Injunction in Case
On May 7, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) succeeded in obtaining a preliminary injunction in a whistleblower claim, which kept the Lear Corporation from being able to retaliate any further against a whistleblower named Kimberly King. This injunction is big for whistleblowers everywhere, as it could redefine the protection given to whistleblowers to […]
