Press Release: Whistleblower Reprisal Investigation: Vicksburg, Mississippi (DODIG 2024 129)

Inspector General Robert P. Storch announced today that the Department of Defense Office of Inspector General (DoD OIG) released the report, "Whistleblower Reprisal Investigation: L.C. Industries, Inc., Vicksburg, Mississippi."

The DoD OIG conducted an investigation in response to a complaint alleging that DoD manufacturing, distribution, and retail contractor L.C. Industries (LCI) took actions against an employee in reprisal for making protected disclosures about the improper use of federal funds and that their LCI supervisor had retaliated against them. The DoD OIG substantiated the allegation that LCI discharged the employee from employment in reprisal for making protected disclosures.

"Individuals who make disclosures of suspected wrongdoing perform a valuable service to the companies for which they work, the DoD, and the public at large. Reprisal against such employees is wrong, as it violates the trust that is essential to effective governance," said IG Storch. "It is critically important that employees be able to come forward so that their concerns can be examined and addressed, and they cannot reasonably be expected to do this if they are fearful that their careers will be jeopardized as a result."

The DoD OIG recommended that the Secretary of the Army direct Army officials to order LCI to take action to abate the reprisal; order LCI to award the employee compensatory damages (including back pay), employment benefits, and other terms and conditions of employment that the employee would have received had they not been reprised against; and order LCI to pay the employee an amount equal to the aggregate amount of all costs and expenses (including attorneys' fees) that were reasonably incurred by the employee for, or in connection with, bringing the complaint.

The DoD OIG will monitor the Army's implementation of the recommendations in this report.