In an Indiana whistleblower lawsuit, a former city employee alleges that she was fired after testifying against her direct supervisor in court. The former employee alleges she was ordered by her supervisor on numerous occasions to perform illegal acts concerning the diverting of wastewater, and she reported that her supervisor would then yell at her whenever she refused to perform such tasks.
The employee’s supervisor purportedly ordered the employee to destroy documentation documenting the illegal diversion of the wastewater. In addition, she was asked to prepare fictitious minutes and not cooperate with the State Board of Accounts who happened to be investigating the diversion of wastewater circumstances. She apparently also overheard her supervisor threatening officials at the State Board of Accounts.
The employee now testifies that her hours were cut after she testified against her supervisor. Shortly after this she was then fired from her job. It was because of her losing her job that she brought the lawsuit against the district for which she worked.
Whistleblower lawsuits are often brought due to similar circumstances as mentioned above. Statutes were designed to protect workers that have reported fraud or misconduct on the part of an employer from facing retaliation for their testimony. As all such whistleblower cases have their own unique circumstances, it would be advisable for individuals to contact an attorney that practices employment law and who understands federal and Indiana employment statutes in order to discuss possible remedies.
The supervisor of the employee who testified has now been convicted of a felony for his actions. No employee should be forced to protect the actions of a felon in order to hold onto their job.
Source: journalgazette.net, “Sewer district faces lawsuit,” by Rebecca Green, March 8, 2012
