Whistleblower Claims Against VA Contractor Must Be Arbitrated

A whistleblower must pursue claims that Intratek Computer Inc. unlawfully terminated his employment for calling attention to an alleged bribery scheme by the Veterans Affairs contractor, the Fifth Circuit said in a matter of first impression Friday.

A district court properly found that a federal whistleblower statute didn’t bar arbitration to resolve the retaliation dispute between the parties, which James W. Robertson, Sr., agreed to when he joined Intratek, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit concluded.

The statute says a jury trial can vindicate a whistleblower’s statutory rights after the the plaintiff exhausts administrative remedies, the appeals ...