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Former IT Director Suing Harris County

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Texas employment lawyers have named Harris County in a lawsuit that focuses on the county sheriff's office, where one employee claims that he was fired for simply being a whistleblower.

ABC News reports that the former IT director of the sheriff's office Wilfrido Willie Mata contacted the FBI when an outsider hacked into the county's computer system, even though he was asked to "look the other way" and not tell the county of the hacking. He later disclosed his cooperation with the FBI to the sheriff's office.

But when Wilfrido Mata was fired in May, it raised a bunch of red flags for the IT director and for employment lawyers. Was the employee fired for blowing the whistle? He was told that he was fired because his performance failed to meet expectations for which he was hired, but in February the suit says that his performance review was rated average. The suit also states that the former IT director had no prior disciplinary problems and received years of superior job performance reviews.

The lawsuit against Harris County alleges the sheriff's offices violated the Whistleblower Act. The federal government and many states, including Texas, have laws protecting whistleblowers from retaliation for filing a claim or reporting a violation. Anybody who has reported a violation of law by an employer and believes that they suffered retaliation because of the reporting, should contact a Houston employment lawyer to learn information about filing a claim and about what legal rights you have in such a situation.

Related Resources:

  • Whistleblower Protections (FindLaw)
  • Locate a Houston Employment Lawyer (FindLaw)
  • Whistleblower Claims Could Rise Significantly (FindLaw's KnowledgeBase)

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