On July 20, 2022, the Tenth Circuit affirmed a $1 million jury award to a former employee who claimed he was demoted in retaliation for reporting that his supervisor instructed him to falsify test results on a program used by the U.S. military. Casias v. Raytheon Co., Nos. 21-1195 and 21-1205 (10th Cir. 2022).
Plaintiff alleged that his supervisor instructed him to change certain data on a GPS project designed for the U.S. Air Force, which made the project appear more successful. Plaintiff allegedly complied and then immediately notified leadership of his superior’s instruction. A few months later, Plaintiff was reassigned from his testing role, where he managed dozens of employees, to a minor role managing only two employees. Plaintiff eventually accepted a position at a different defense contractor where his salary, benefits and rank were lower.
Plaintiff filed suit in the U.S. District Court for the District of Colorado alleging various claims, including a claim under the Defense Contractor Whistleblower Protection Act (“DCWPA”). The jury found for Plaintiff, and awarded him $43,000 in backpay and $1,000,000 in noneconomic damages. The district court struck the backpay award but confirmed the noneconomic damages award. The company filed a motion for judgment notwithstanding the verdict and remittitur after trial, arguing: (1) Plaintiff did not show an adverse employment action or causation; (2) the noneconomic damages were excessive; and (3) the weight of...
Professional rivalry and office politics were the driving forces behind the "false" sexual harassment and conversion allegations levelled against Tata Consulting Services (TCS) employee Raza Rafiq...