A school district in Michigan has been ordered to reinstate one employee and pay a total of $102,905.78 in back wages, damages and other compensation in a whistleblower case.
The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) said Michigan’s Dearborn Heights School District violated whistleblower statutes by unjustly disciplining, publicly discrediting and terminating an employee who reported unsafe working conditions to federal and state agencies.
Federal investigators determined that the Michigan school district violated the Clean Air Act. The terminated employee served as a key witness for federal investigators in a 2012 whistleblower complaint from an employee who alleged employee and student exposure to asbestos at the public school. In fall 2016, the employee also reported potential exposure of pesticide at the school to the Michigan Environmental Protection Agency.
OSHA’s investigation found the Dearborn Heights School District publicly disputed these employees’ complaints, as well as media reports of potential exposure to hazards. The district also maintained an information link on its website alleging that both employees had presented misinformation and caused a public health scare. In addition, the district stated on the public website that it was within its rights to terminate whistleblowers, a clear violation of federal law.
The employee assisted with the 2012 investigation after the worker objected when the director of operations and construction management told the worker to dry sand floor tiles that contained asbestos at Annapolis High School. The director failed to train the workers in asbestos hazards and provide protective equipment.
Within days of receipt of the Department of Labor’s June 2016 findings in the employee’s whistleblower case, the school district allegedly embarked on heightened surveillance of the second employee, a lengthy progressive discipline campaign against the individual, and eventually terminated their employment for actions including reporting unsafe conditions to state and federal agencies.
In the previous action, Dearborn Heights School District contested OSHA’s June 2016 findings in favor of the first whistleblower. An Administrative Law Judge ordered the district, through a settlement, to pay the former janitor $210,261 in back wages and damages on Feb. 14, 2018.
Both parties have 30 days from the receipt of OSHA’s findings to file objections and request a hearing before an administrative law judge.
Source: OSHA
Was this article valuable?
Here are more articles you may enjoy.
Cracks in O’Hare Columns Aren’t Insured Property Damage, Just Bad Product – Court 
4,800 Claims Handled by Unlicensed Adjusters in Florida After Irma, Lawsuit Says 
Growing Wildfire Risk Leaves States Grappling With How to Keep Insurers From Fleeing 
Travelers to Open Technology Office in Atlanta 
