AUGUSTA, Maine — The settlement announced last month in a whistle-blower case targeting the Maine Center for Disease Control calls for a former employee to receive $142,500.
The Sun Journal reported that the Maine Department of Health and Human Services will pay to settle a federal whistle-blower claim by Sharon Leahy-Lind. A second plaintiff, Katie Woodbury, will receive $22,500. Their lawyer, Cynthia Dill, will be paid $85,000 for legal fees.
Leahy-Lind, a former director of the division of local health, says she was retaliated against for refusing to shred public documents related to a grant program. Woodbury, a current CDC office manager, joined the lawsuit.
Their lawsuit sought compensation, punitive damages, legal fees and a declaration that they acted lawfully. As part of the agreement, DHHS did not admit any wrongdoing.