An Oregon jury has awarded $203,900 in damages to a lieutenant with the Tualatin Valley Hearth and Rescue. Lieutenant Daniel Krug filed go well with claiming he was pressured to take away himself from a promotional listing for captain, and discriminated towards on the premise of incapacity, veterans’ standing, and whistleblower standing.
Right here is our earlier protection of the case. The next data was offered in a press launch from Lt. Krug’s legal professional, Katelyn S. Oldham.
- Lieutenant Daniel Krug acquired a verdict in his favor on his whistleblowing claims and on an aider and abettor declare on July 22, 2024, after a five-day jury trial. He’ll obtain $203,900 in damages from his employer, Tualatin Valley Hearth and Rescue.
- Lieutenant Krug’s claims involved a civil service promotional course of he believed veteran’s desire factors wanted to be utilized to so as to be in compliance with state statutes. Lieutenant Krug is a disabled veteran, lawfully entitled to desire factors in civil service hiring and promotional processes.
- After elevating the difficulty with the District’s human sources, then by a casual veteran’s committee and thru his labor union, the District lastly modified its coverage to use the veteran’s desire factors. It took roughly one 12 months for the District to make the change. Lieutenant Krug had additionally despatched two emails to the union listserv – one which associated to a union election and one which associated to PTSD. When questioned in regards to the emails by District Chief of Operations Greg Ladrow and different managers, Lieutenant Krug asserted that they had been protected union communications. Oregon has a regulation that protects such concerted actions, the Public Staff Collective Bargaining Act.
- Throughout his promotional course of, the District took actions that appeared biased and improperly thought-about the emails Lieutenant Krug had despatched to the union listserv as causes to not promote him and, later, to say no to increase his performing captain place. After Lieutenant Krug raised considerations in regards to the promotional course of and requested the interview notes and scores, the District took speedy steps to take away him from the Captain’s promotional listing and finally threatened him with an investigation if he didn’t request to be faraway from the listing. He eliminated his title from the listing out of worry that the District would finish his profession if he didn’t.
- The jury agreed that actions taken by the District had been in retaliation for Lieutenant Krug’s whistleblowing actions and that the previous District Chief of Operations, Gregory Ladrow, aided and abetted the District in its illegal conduct. The jury didn’t discover that the District discriminated towards Lieutenant Krug on the premise of his veteran’s standing or incapacity.
- Lieutenant Krug stays employed at Tualatin Valley Hearth and Rescue, a fireplace district within the Portland metro space in Oregon. He’s hopeful that this case will present better safety for his co-workers who report or object to illegal conduct.
In line with Ms. Oldham, the jury allotted $3,900 for financial damages, and $200,000 for hurt to his repute/standing and associated noneconomic damages.