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.

Whistleblower Retaliation at Korn Ferry

Gary Burnison, CEO of Korn/Ferry - Photo by Jennifer Weiss for WSJ

I can relate to what Robert Damon, formerly of Korn/Ferry, is going through. He was a high-level executive who was fired for whistleblowing against Korn/Ferry’s Chief Executive, Gary Burnison, who was allegedly mistreating several female colleagues. This parallels what I went through when I blew the whistle on a senior executive in a former position I held, because I went through some of the same experiences. Additionally, Mr. Damon was smeared by Korn/Ferry in an attempt to discredit him, which is typical tactic used against whistleblowers who sue for wrongful termination – something I had to fight through for 18 months in my past. While the allegations against Mr. Burnison have not been proven in court, but my sources in the organization have expressed total dismay with what has gone on and is still going on within the company. Read more on the case and the settlement at The Wall Street Journal.