By Steve Kardell | Published August 18, 2022 | Posted in Fraud, Whistleblower Litigation | Tagged Tags: SEC, Securities and Exchange Commission, whistleblower awards | Comments Off on SEC Considering Return to 30 Percent Awards for Corporate Whistleblowers
SEC Considering Return to 30 Percent Awards for Corporate Whistleblowers
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) recently proposed some changes to its whistleblower program that could potentially affect compensation received by whistleblowers through the program. Under the current rules, whistleblowers can perceive anywhere from 10 to 30 percent of penalties the SEC collects when the penalties in the case exceed $1 million. However, the Read More
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Former Boston Public Schools Administrator Claims She Was Pushed Out of Her Position After Reporting ESL Concerns
The former administrator of Boston Public Schools who was in charge of English learning claims she was pushed to resign from her position because she was threatened by the district to be fired. She claims these threats came in response to her repeatedly voiced concerns over the district not putting English learners in classes specifically Read More
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Firefighter Succeeds in Whistleblower Retaliation Claim Against U.S. Forest Service
A judge awarded a former U.S. Forest Service firefighter $115,000 in back pay, siding with the firefighter in his whistleblower retaliation claim against the Forest Service. The firefighter, Pedro Rios, claimed the agency “blackballed” him for publicly speaking out against the agency’s loose COVID-19 safety protocols during the height of the pandemic.The decision from the Read More
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Former Sacramento Fire Chief Sues CIty for Wrongful Termination
The former chief of the Sacramento Fire Department, Gary Loesch, recently filed a $10 million wrongful termination suit against the city, claiming he was deliberately exposed to COVID-19 as a form of retaliation. Case background A former employee had filed a complaint against Loesch, which included several claims of harassment and discrimination based on age, Read More
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Former VP of State of Hawaii Organization of Police Officers Claims to Have Been Forced Out for Whistleblowing
Sg. David “Kawika” Hallums of the Honolulu Police Department said he was removed almost immediately after being sworn in as the vice president of the State of Hawaii Organization of Police Officers (SHOPO) because he was a whistleblower. Hallums allegedly received a resignation letter upon being sworn in, and was pressured by other board members Read More
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Department of Justice Announces Pair of False Claims Act Settlements
The U.S. Department of Justice recently announced two settlements of qui tam lawsuits under the False Claims Act, which allows private individuals to file lawsuits on behalf of the government when they become aware of fraud committed by companies or individuals. Here’s a brief overview of these settlements. Healthkeeperz, Inc. Healthkeeperz, Inc., a behavioral healthcare Read More
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Former White Sox Trainer Claims to Have Been Fired Due to His Sexual Orientation
Brian Ball, a former trainer for the Chicago White Sox who worked for the team for 20 years, filed a lawsuit against the team and its general manager Rick Hahn, alleging his October 2020 termination was because of his age, disability and sexual orientation. His lawsuit also contains allegations of defamation that caused emotional distress. Read More
Read MoreNew Bill Would Create Shorter Wait Time for SEC Whistleblower Awards
The Whistleblower Program of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has been a significant success since its implementation in the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform Act, but there have been some weak points. Chief among those is that it can take a significant amount of time before the SEC concludes its investigation and when the whistleblower Read More
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What Qualifies as “Adverse Action” in a Discrimination or Retaliation Case?
An “adverse employment action” such as wrongful termination, denial of a raise or promotion, denial of benefits or assignment to less-attractive duties could play an important role in a whistleblower’s discrimination or retaliation lawsuit against an employer. But what legal standards does the whistleblower need to demonstrate to be successful in such cases? To establish Read More
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SEC Awards Approximately $6 Million to Five Whistleblowers
On April 25, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission issued whistleblower awards to two groups of recipients comprising five total whistleblowers. According to the SEC, both of these group sof whistleblowers significantly assisted in cases by providing information and ongoing assistance that ultimately led to the success of the same enforcement action taken. The first Read More
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