People in California make money in many different ways. Most of them have a job and earn their income through that employment and most of the time the way that they make their money is a legitimate way to make money. However, there are some who abuse their position as a business owners and make money through illegal means. Many times people within the company are aware of the illegal tactics and may feel obligated to expose the corruption.
This is exactly what an ex-superintendent and another executive of a school district did when they learned of corruption within the school district. They discovered that the person in charge of the school district’s budget was giving very lucrative contracts to friends and not going through the proper ways of giving the contracts. The ex-superintendent and other executive brought their concerns to the board, but were silenced and fired a short time afterward.
The two then brought a whistleblower retaliation lawsuit against the school district and after a jury trial were awarded over $3 million combined between the two of them as compensation. This case highlights the protections that whistleblowers are given. People who know there is illegal activity going on at their company are encouraged to expose the wrongdoers and to do so without fear of retaliation. If employers do retaliate the employees may be entitled to compensation like the employees above.
Most employers in California conduct their business the right way. However, when companies know they can make even more money through illegal means, it can be hard to pass up. However, it is difficult to expose these businesses without the help of the employees of the companies. That is why they are encouraged to inform the company itself or the proper law enforcement when they know it is occurring. These employees are also protected against retaliation and experienced attorneys may be able to protect one’s rights.