Glossary of Whistleblower Terminology
If you decide to share your story with the media, you need to understand key terms that may be referenced by a journalist in an interview. It is also important to learn terminology that will help you protect yourself, as well as some legal terms relating to whistleblowing and the media. Note: Many newsrooms adhere […]
Susan Fowler — Uber, 2017
What was the whistleblower’s path to coming forward? In February 2017, Susan Fowler posted a blog entry, “Reflecting On One Very, Very Strange Year At Uber,” about the sexism she experienced as a site reliability engineer for the company — and how her complaints were consistently undermined and ignored by HR. She described how her […]
Erika Cheung — Theranos, 2015
What was the whistleblower’s path to coming forward? In 2013, Erika Cheung was a new employee at Theranos and excited to be working at such a prominent company fresh out of college. Then she started noticing that quality control tests on patients’ samples were continuously failing. Cheung raised concerns to senior management but was shut down and told nothing […]
Acknowledgments
Whistleblowers TYLER SHULTZ Tyler Shultz (@TylerShultz_) is the whistleblower who first raised the alarm on Elizabeth Holmes’s $10 billion biotech company, Theranos. Tyler alerted public health regulators in New York and was a source for a series of Wall Street Journal articles exposing Theranos’ dubious blood-testing practices. Tyler Shultz is currently the CEO of Flux Biosciences, and […]
Babak Pasdar — Verizon, 2008
What was the whistleblower’s path to coming forward? Babak Pasdar fled the 1979 revolution in Iran with his parents and two brothers. After arriving in the United States on a tourist visa, their request for political asylum was denied, but the family eventually established themselves in their new country. In 2003, Pasdar was approached by […]
Note Taking and Record Keeping
This tool is meant to provide considerations and questions to facilitate note taking and record keeping. Each circumstance is unique and you should speak to a lawyer about your case. “You can access documents that are a part of your job responsibilities, but you can’t go on ‘fishing expeditions.’ Be targeted. Use a scalpel, not […]
Cynthia Cooper — WorldCom, 2002
What was the whistleblower’s path to coming forward? Cynthia Cooper was raised in Clinton, Mississippi — home to the headquarters of WorldCom, the telecommunications company on whom she would eventually blow the whistle. In an interview for Fraud Magazine, Cooper noted that WorldCom was the only Fortune 500 company headquartered in Mississippi, “truly a Cinderella […]
Building a Team Template
This tool is meant to provide a basic template for building a support team. Each circumstance is unique and you should speak to a lawyer about your case. “Assessing the strength, safety, and trust in your relationship with family and friends is crucial in whistleblowing. You’ll need someone who can provide an objective perspective as […]
The Outcome
Perhaps the most important matter to consider before publicly speaking out against an employer is identifying the outcome you want to achieve — and understanding the other possible outcomes you may face. Although each case sees a unique resolution, several potential outcomes can be anticipated: Lawsuits Aside from lawsuits that may be filed against the […]
Job and Financial Security
Deciding to speak out publicly against an employer is likely to have a ripple effect that can impact a whistleblower’s career, even years later. Whistleblowing is an important pillar of American democracy, but it does not pay the bills. Workplace retaliation According to a study published in the DePaul Business & Commercial Law Journal, two-thirds […]
