U.S. Supreme Court sides with public whistleblower

摘要

In 2006, former Central Alabama Community College employee Edward R. Lane realized he was paying a state legislator who rarely, if ever, showed up for work. Colleagues warned him not to say anything, but he couldn't let it go. "It's sort of like being president of the bank," he told National Public Radio. "If I know one of my tellers is stealing and I allow it to go on, then I'm complicit.' He fired Suzanne Schmitz for non-performance. She was convicted, sentenced to 30 months in prison, and ordered to pay the college back more than $175,000. Shortly thereafter, the college let go of "probationary" employees during budget cuts. All but Lane and one other were later rehired. Lane sued, claiming he was really fired as punishment for uncovering fraud and that being punished for testifying against Schmitz violated his free speech rights.