A complaint or report about nepotism can be covered in some situations by the Kentucky Whistleblower Act according to the Kentucky Supreme Court's recent decision in Harper v. University of Louisville. Notice the qualifiers: "can be covered" and "in some situations." Context matters very much to this issue.
Here's what the Kentucky Supreme Court said in the Harper decision:
We can agree that in some circumstances, nepotism could fit within the general categories of "suspected mismanagement" or "abuse of authority" under KRS 61.102(1).
So a complaint or report regarding nepotism won't in all but can be in some circumstances protected by the Kentucky Whistleblower Act. Context, again, is everything as well as the content of the report.
Some other things to consider:
- What is protected by the Kentucky Whistleblower Act?
- What is the Kentucky Whistleblower Act?
- Do whistleblower laws protect a private company employee in Kentucky?
- Can I be fired for reporting Medicare fraud?
- Do credit union whistleblowers have any legal protection?
Lexington, Kentucky whistleblower lawyer Robert Abell represents employees and individuals in cases under the Kentucky Whistleblower Act; contact him at 859-254-7076.
