Morgan State Employee Unable to Pursue Whistleblower Lawsuit

A former Morgan State University employee can’t pursue a federal whistleblower suit against the school, the Fourth Circuit said Thursday.

The holding is based on a recent Maryland Supreme Court opinion, which said that the state’s waiver of sovereign immunity for a “tort action” under the Maryland Tort Claims Act didn’t extend to federal statutory claims. That opinion answered a certified question from the Fourth Circuit.

Michele Williams sued Morgan State and its dean under the National Defense Authorization Act and the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, alleging that they retaliated against her and ultimately fired her for complaining about ...