ALBANY — The Amsterdam doctor who sued a butcher shop manager over a COVID mask mandate has himself been sued, for allegedly firing an employee who reported COVID protocol violations at his office.
The U.S. Department of Labor on Thursday said the move by ophthalmologist Dr. David Kwiat was a form of illegal retaliation under whistleblower provisions of the Occupational Safety and Health Act and 24 other statutes.
The DOL complaint against Kwiat and Kwiat Eye and Laser Surgery alleges that an employee expressed concerns to a supervisor for nine-plus months about the lack of COVID-19 safety protocols, including mask wearing and social distancing, at the medical practice on Route 30 in the town of Amsterdam.
The DOL whistleblower investigation concluded Kwiat retaliated against the employee for filing complaints with the New York State Department of Health — firing her on the spot and telling her that was why.
Kwiat responded to a request for comment with an emailed statement to this newspaper Thursday:
“One thing the government is good at is wasting taxpayer money on meritless issues. [The complainant] is a troubled individual and we pray for her as well as those that cannot see the truth among lies.”
The complainant’s name is being withheld from this report because of her status as a whistleblower.
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