Monthly Archives: September 2017
DCS Investigations Reveal Improper Donations, Additional Wrongdoing
This spring, NBC 5 in Dallas produced a 30-minute in-depth investigative report surrounding developments in the investigation into Dallas County Schools (DCS), a taxpayer-funded agency that oversees the transportation of more than 75,000 students in North Texas each day. According to the report, DCS was experiencing financial turmoil that led it to sell land owned […]
Recent Whistleblower Case Shows Potential for Reduction in Monetary Awards
On February 28, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) awarded a whistleblower 20 percent of the sanctions paid in association with an enforcement action brought forth as a result of unique information provided by that whistleblower. In this case, the SEC clarified that the whistleblower’s own culpability in some of the securities violations at […]
Rule Changes Allow CFTC to File Whistleblower Retaliation Claims
Recently implemented rule changes allow the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) to file whistleblower retaliation claims against employers. These changes, adopted in May, also prevent employers from preemptively forbidding employees from communicating with the CFTC. The new rules, which were adopted unanimously, also establish a new claims review process. This will help establish initial determinations […]
False Claims Act Suit Against Genentech Halted
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit recently halted a False Claims Act lawsuit filed against Genentech Inc. In the suit, the plaintiff claimed the company defrauded Medicare by hiding some side effects of its cancer drug Avastin. The court stated the whistleblower did not show that a failure to report the safety […]
Former Infosys Executive Accuses Company of Racial Bias in Favor of Indian Employees
A former executive at Indian software company Infosys accused the company of racial discrimination in its hiring and promotion practices, saying the company favors Indian employees over people of other backgrounds. Erin Green, who is white, worked at the company’s Texas office from October 2011 to July 2016. He claims his former employer has given […]
Wells Fargo Pays $35 Million to Settle Racial Bias Lawsuit
Earlier this year, Wells Fargo agreed to pay $35 million to more than 500 African-American employees to settle a lawsuit that alleged the large bank routinely favored its white employees. In the lawsuit, six black brokers from Wells Fargo alleged the bank regularly showed a nationwide pattern of racial discrimination. They say that black employees […]
Fox News Anchor Files Discrimination Lawsuit Against Network
Cable news network Fox News has found itself in a great deal of legal hot water lately, including sexual harassment allegations levied against several of its most notable executives and on-air personalities. The latest legal challenge to arise came in May in the form of a discrimination lawsuit filed by anchor Diana Falzone. Falzone accuses […]
Whistleblower Claim Worth $112 Million to Proceed Against Duke and Researchers
A federal judge has ruled that a whistleblower lawsuit filed against Duke University and a pair of researchers can proceed. The lawsuit alleges the university and researchers were able to secure $112 million in federal funding based on fraudulent work. The lawsuit was initially filed under the False Claims Act in 2013. If successful, it […]
