Being a whistleblower in Kansas or Missouri — an employee who reports illegal or wrongdoings of their employer — is not an easy decision. When an employee decides to act as a whistleblower, the employee may be placing his or her own employment in jeopardy for a greater good, a risk that the law attempts to protect them from. Many times a whistleblower is terminated by their employer and may need to file a wrongful termination lawsuit to rectify the situation.
The previous head of security at a community college outside of Missouri was recently terminated. The former employee claims his termination was retaliation that was done in response to his reporting a wrongful act by the college.
The former employee claims his wrongful termination came after he acted as a whistleblower when the college allegedly covered up sexual assault claims. The former employee claims the college failed to properly report sexual assault claims by students against college professors.
The reporting process for these types of criminal allegations are mandated and tracked under federal law. The former employee, who was involved as the head of security, acted as a whistleblower when he reported the events to the U.S. Department of Education. The former employee has made these allegations in his wrongful termination lawsuit and the college has reportedly not formally responded to the lawsuit at this point.
The former employee is still unemployed and is claiming unspecified damages based on the loss of employment and the emotional distress he suffered as a result of the wrongful termination. The potential damages awarded as a result of a wrongful termination lawsuit may not undo the actual termination, but may be able to provide the wronged employee with financial compensation to effectively deal with the termination and move forward.
Source: The Boston Globe, “Fired head of security sues Roxbury Community College,” Travis Andersen, Nov. 2, 2012
