Monthly Archives: January 2018
SkyWest Airlines Employee Awarded $2.45 Million in Wrongful Termination Suit
A U.S. District Court recently awarded $2.45 million in damages to John Hayes, a former employee of SkyWest Airlines, in a wrongful termination lawsuit. In the case, Hayes alleged the company had engaged in discrimination and wrongful termination. The verdict included $450,000 in actual damages and $2 million in punitive damages. The issue began when […]
Jury Determines Raytheon Not Guilty of Retaliation in Major Lawsuit
A former engineer at Raytheon filed a $3.56 million lawsuit alleging wrongful termination and retaliation for having reported his concerns about timecard fraud to ethics officials within the company. However, at trial, the jury determined Raytheon was not guilty of retaliation in the case. The employee had submitted complaints that the company refused to pay […]
Sexual Harassment Not Just Problematic for Rich and Famous
Over the past several months, we have seen high-powered, A-list celebrities and public officials toppled by allegations of sexual harassment and misconduct. Many of these cases involved powerful men taking advantage of their positions to harass and assault subordinates, while being insulated from any repercussions due to their status. But it’s not just Hollywood and […]
EEOC Wins Nearly $500 Million for Victims of Discrimination in 2017
In a news release posted on its website, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) reports it won nearly $500 million for victims of workplace discrimination in 2017. It also managed to reduce its backlog of unresolved discrimination charges to the lowest levels in about a decade. The EEOC secured about $484 million in total. […]
Owners of Texas Clinic Accused of Healthcare Fraud
A group of health clinic owners in Houston will head to federal court after being indicted for conspiracy to commit wire fraud, money laundering and kickbacks, according to a joint announcement by federal officials and investigators. A grand jury returned the indictment on November 2 and named Anukul “Andy” Dass, his sister Anurag “Anna” Dass […]
Former Employee of Fidelity Investments Seeks Compensation for Workplace Retaliation
A former executive for Fidelity Investments has sued the mutual funds company, claiming it retaliated against her after she blew the whistle on potential fraud to investors. The whistleblower, Jackie Hosang Lawson, resigned in 2007 after what she called a “sustained campaign of retaliation” after she raised concerns regarding the incorrect calculation of expenses that […]
Whistleblower Protection Act Sponsored by Wisconsin Senator Signed into Law
A bill named after a whistleblower who worked at the Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Tomah, Wisconsin, was signed into law in October. The legislation, entitled the Dr. Chris Kirkpatrick Whistleblower Protection Act, was authored by U.S. Senator Ron Johnson (R-Wisconsin) and co-sponsored by Senator Joni Ernst (R-Iowa). Dr. Kirkpatrick was a 39-year-old psychologist who […]
Successes Highlighted in SEC Whistleblower Program’s Annual Report
The SEC Office of the Whistleblower recently released its annual report for 2017. The big headline coming from the report is that whistleblower tips have helped the SEC recover nearly $1 billion in monetary sanctions from wrongdoers at agencies and businesses across the nation, including more than $671 million in the disgorgement of illegally received […]
Attorney Steve Kardell is Quoted in Bloomberg Government
Attorney Steve Kardell was quoted in the December 26, 2017 edition of “Bloomberg Government.” In an article titled, “Lockhead, Northrop Grumman Again Thward F-35 Cost Claims,” by Daniel Seiden, Attorney Kardell shared his thoughts on an amicus brief filed in the Fifth Circuit by Taxpayers Against Fraud: ‘‘Hopefully, the Fifth Circuit was influenced by an […]
Whistleblower Discovers Hidden Wait Lists at VA Facilities in Colorado
The U.S. Office of the Inspector General recently uncovered secret wait lists at Veterans Affairs facilities in the Colorado communities of Golden, Colorado Springs and Denver after tips from a whistleblower. The individual reportedly came forward to expose yet another problem at VA locations. A report from the Inspector General indicated the wait lists that […]
