Federal government workers often express deep commitment to their public interest careers. The same devotion may not be felt when it comes to living in the nation’s capitol, however. Rather, many federal workers prefer to live in the slower paced, residential communities bordering Washington, D.C.
Such workers may call Maryland communities like Greenbelt, Annapolis, Gaithersburg or Prince George’s County their home. The commute may not be far, but the peace and quiet offered by these surrounding suburbs might seem like a start contrast to the metropolitan lifestyle of many District residents.
However, one Gaithersburg resident’s peace and quiet was recently interrupted when news of his wrongful termination lawsuit made national news. The man, a former investigator for the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, was terminated in 2012. He filed a lawsuit, claiming wrongful termination and retaliation.
Specifically, the man claimed that SEC officials fired him to cover up his discovery of potential breaches in computer security, as well as for reporting SEC agency misconduct to several members of congressional oversight committees. The lawsuit also sought whistleblower protection under applicable laws. The SEC recently agreed to settle the lawsuit for $580,000 and to clear the man’s record of potentially negative comments and references.
Although whistleblower protection is a distinct area of employment law, wrongful terminations often allege instances of employer retaliation. Depending on the terms of an employment agreement, an employer may be able to terminate an employee with or without cause. However, when an employee’s alleged discovery of unlawful employer activity is the basis of termination, additional laws might be implicated. A Maryland employment law attorney might be a good resource for investigating all available options.
Source: gazette.net, “Former SEC official receives major whistleblower settlement,” Kevin James Shay