It has been reported that Queens physical education teacher Peter Maliarakis has settled his “whistleblowing” retaliation lawsuit against the New York City Department of Education, Principal Namita Dwarka, and others. He alleges in his 2014 lawsuit (here and below), among other things, that the school administration retaliated against him after he told an Office of Special Investigation (OSI)…
Read More Grade-Changing Whistleblower Lawsuit SettledIn Malanga v. NYU Langone Med. Ctr., No. 14CV9681, 2015 WL 7019819, (S.D.N.Y. Nov. 12, 2015), the Southern District of New York held that plaintiff sufficiently alleged her claims of retaliation under the False Claims Act and sexual orientation discrimination (hostile work environment) under the NYC Human Rights Law (NYCHRL). Here is her amended complaint. False…
Read More Plaintiff Sufficiently Alleges False Claims Act and Sexual Orientation Discrimination (Hostile Work Environment) Claims Against NYU Langone Medical CenterUnfortunately for New York workers, New York has a notoriously weak workplace “whistleblower law”. Its general whistleblower statute, NY Labor Law § 740, provides (in pertinent part): An employer shall not take any retaliatory personnel action against an employee because such employee does any of the following: (a) discloses, or threatens to disclose to a…
Read More Whistleblower Claim Dismissed; Supervisor Assault Was Not a Qualifying Legal ViolationIn Lee v. Woori Bank, decided by the Appellate Division, First Department on July 28, 2015, the court held that plaintiff’s sexual harassment and negligence claims were not barred by the “waiver” provision of New York’s whistleblower statute, Labor Law § 740. Labor Law § 740(7) provides, in part, that “the institution of an action in accordance…
Read More Sexual Harassment and Negligence Claims Not Waived by Waiver Provision of New York’s Whistleblower StatuteNazi dentists are terrifying. Drunk dentists may be a close second. New York’s whistleblower statutes – codified at Labor Law §§ 740 and 741 – are notoriously (and, from a plaintiffs’ lawyer’s perspective, frustratingly) narrow. It is, therefore, refreshing to see a plaintiff prevail, if “only” on a motion for summary judgment. This victory – arguably the…
Read More Plaintiff Fired After Complaining About Drunk Dentist Survives Summary Judgment on Labor Law § 741 Whistleblower ClaimIn Davis v. Duane Reade, Inc. (2d Dept. Sept. 24, 2014), the court explained the narrow scope of the waiver provision of New York’s Whistleblower Law: Labor Law § 740(7) provides that “the institution of an action in accordance with this section shall be deemed a waiver of the rights and remedies available under any…
Read More Court Clarifies Limited Scope of Whistleblower Law’s Waiver ProvisionIn Pal v. New York University (Summary Order dated 9/22/14), the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit clarified that New York’s “Whistleblower” law – New York Labor Law § 740 – only provides for “equitable” relief (such as back pay), does not allow recovery for “future or anticipated lost wages or benefits,” and does not provide…
Read More Second Circuit Clarifies Remedies Available Under New York’s “Whistleblower Law”, New York Labor Law 740/741In Nielsen v. AECOM Technology Corp. (decided August 8, 2014), the Second Circuit clarified the standard to be applied when evaluating whistleblower retaliation claims under Section 806 the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, codified at 18 U.S.C. § 1514A (SOX). Congress enacted SOX “[t]o safeguard investors in public companies and restore trust in the financial markets following the collapse of…
Read More Second Circuit Clarifies SOX Whistleblowing StandardThe New York Court of Appeals held, in Webb-Weber v. Community Action for Human Servs., Inc. (decided May 13, 2014) that plaintiff adequately stated a claim under New York’s Whistleblower Law, Labor Law § 740(2)(a). That statute provides, in pertinent part: An employer shall not take any retaliatory personnel action against an employee because such employee … discloses,…
Read More Court of Appeals Broadly Interprets New York’s General Whistleblower Statute, Labor Law § 740In Lawson v. FMR, the Supreme Court recently broadened the reach of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, which was enacted following the collapse of Enron Corporation. The whistleblower portion of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, codified at 18 U.S.C. § 1514A, provides: No [public] company . . . , or any officer, employee, contractor, subcontractor, or agent…
Read More Supreme Court Holds That Sarbanes-Oxley (SOX) Act Protects Employees of Private Contractors