The KFC Yum! Center was opened in Louisville, Kentucky with much fanfare in October 2010. Ted Nicholson, general manager of the arena, took part in the excitement and was set to manage the arena through numerous upcoming venues, including the NCAA Tournament this year. Then in February 2012, Harold Workman, president of the Kentucky State Fair Board (KSFB), fired him, much to the surprise of the rest of the fair board and Mr. Nicholson himself. The KSFB chairman tried to get him reinstated to his position but was unsuccessful. The University of Louisville then hired him to oversee the NCAA Tournament, which appeared to be successful.
With the tournament over, Mr. Nicholson has focused his energy on seeking justice for his alleged wrongful termination. On April 27, 2012, he filed a whistleblower lawsuit against KSFB. A whistleblower is someone who reports a company for a variety of reasons, including illegal activities, mismanagement of funds, corruption, and health or safety violations. This information may be divulged to someone else within the company, an outside person, or law enforcement. If the company retaliates against the whistleblower in any way, including termination, the whistleblower can file a lawsuit. Whistleblowers in Kentucky are protected by federal laws as well as the Kentucky Whistleblower Act. This state act protects employees who divulge information to the proper authorities. It does not allow employees to share confidential or incorrect information, and it gives employers the right to find out what information the employee has shared. Employees who share incorrect information can face disciplinary action.
According to the lawsuit, Mr. Nicholson believes he was retaliated against after telling an outside consultant about some of the issues the arena was having and attributing them to Mr. Workman. The consultant had been hired to review the operation of the arena and Nicholson states his answers to the firm’s questions were “honest and sincere.” He claims that numerous unqualified employees were hired because they were acquainted with the fair board president and events that were not profitable continued to be booked. When the negative report came back from the consultant, Nicholson claims he was reprimanded by Mr. Workman and ultimately terminated because of it in February. The board president has announced his plan to retire at the end of the year.
Mr. Nicholson is hoping the lawsuit filed in Jefferson County Circuit Court will win him his job back and that he can be paid for the wages he has lost since he was fired.
If you find yourself in Mr. Nicholson’s situation, do not be afraid to tell the truth to the proper authorities. If your employer attempts to retaliate against you, contact a Kentucky employment law attorney to discuss the facts and determine what action needs to be taken. The attorneys at Charles W. Miller & Associates, serving people in Indiana and Kentucky, have over eight years of experience in protecting employees’ rights and are knowledgeable in all aspects of employment law.
Source:
Fired arena official sues; The Courier-Journal; Joseph Lord; April 29, 2012