A forensic scientist at the Nassau County crime lab is suing the county and its medical examiner’s office, alleging she was wrongfully terminated after exposing unethical and improper practices, and discriminated against because of a perceived disability.
Robyn Fishkin, who worked at the lab from November 2012 until her firing on April 24, 2024, filed the federal lawsuit Nov. 21 in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York. Her attorney, Paul Bartels, said the complaint alleges violations of the Americans with Disabilities Act, New York State civil rights law, and Fishkin’s First Amendment rights to free speech and to petition the government.
Bartels did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
The suit claims that Fishkin’s participation in a 2021 investigation by the Nassau County Inspector General and the New York State Inspector General into alleged misconduct at the crime lab led to retaliation, including disciplinary actions, demotion, ostracization in the workplace, and ultimately, termination.
According to the complaint, Fishkin provided information during the investigation about what she believed to be illegal and unethical activity, including “misuse of government funds and improper, unlawful, and inaccurate revisions of scientific findings to fit the political agendas of the defendants.”
The complaint also mentions a cover-up of a 2005 sexual assault case in which the suspect was later convicted of a high-profile homicide in 2006.
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