Whistleblower Retaliation at the TSA

Heather Callahan Chuck, one of the exonerated TSA officers, photographed by Kent Nishimura for NYT.

It seems to be a norm that whistleblowers are targeted by those they seek to expose. However, these specific cases are particularly unsettling. In an age where airport security is of the utmost importance, learning that the TSA punishes whistleblowers for uncovering security flaws or fund mismanagement is very discouraging. Many of the whistleblowers featured in this article are decorated military veterans, and they often have to spend thousands of dollars trying to win their Equal Employment Opportunity Commission complaints against their supervisors. Management wants to punish employees with impunity, when they should be embracing criticism for the safety of us all. Read the full story at The New York Times.

Response to Takata Airbag Scandal

“It’s bad enough to have a faulty product, it’s even worse to cover it up.” The overwhelming evidence that safety airbag producer Takata covered up data showing that its airbags have the capacity to “maim and kill” people is extremely troubling. What’s even more troubling is the fact that the cover up seems to have taken place over the last sixteen years. According to this article, Takata was aware of potentially catastrophic problems present in its airbags as early as 2000. What kind of workplace culture discourages anyone to speak up in the interest of public safety? I think that question answers itself. Read more on Takata at The New York Times.

Photo Credit: Hyungwon Kang for Reuters