Labor Department Sues Contractor Over Firing of Whistleblower

The US Department of Labor filed suit against Stone Hill Excavation LLC and its successor Split Rock Sand & Gravel for the wrongful termination of an employee who reported a severe work-related injury involving second- and third-degree burns, seeking reinstatement, back wages, damages, and $100,000 in punitive damages, the agency announced.

An Occupational Safety and Health Administration investigation found that the employee was fired two days after reporting the burn injury from scalding water in a pressurized pipe, violating whistleblower provisions of the Occupational Safety and Health Act. The suit was filed in the US District Court for the District ...