MICHAEL UNDERWOOD, APPELLANT,
v.
RHONE-POULENC RORER PHARMACEUTICALS, INC., APPELLEE

Fla. 4th DCA | 2004-12-29
No. 4D03-521
STEVENSON and SHAHOOD, JJ., concur.
890 So. 2d 429 Florida District Court of Appeal, Fourth District (2004) Positive Treatment
Cited by 4 cases

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Synopsis

Michael Underwood appealed a summary judgment dismissing his claims for violations of the Florida Private Sector Whistleblower Act and Florida Civil Rights Act against his former employer, Rhone-Poulenc Rorer Pharmaceuticals. The court reversed, finding that Underwood's sexual harassment and retaliation claims state valid causes of action with material factual disputes precluding summary judgment.


Holding

The court held that Underwood's first Whistleblower claim based on off-label drug promotion does not state a cause of action because the FDCA does not actually prohibit manufacturers from promoting off-label uses. However, Underwood's second Whistleblower claim based on sexual harassment and his Florida Civil Rights Act claim both state valid causes of action, and material factual disputes exist regarding whether he was fired for poor performance or due to improper discrimination, precluding summary judgment.


Headnotes

[1] A claim under the Florida Private Sector Whistleblower Act requires an employee to object to an activity, policy, or practice that violates a law, rule, or regulation.

[2] Promoting off-label uses of prescription drugs, without more, does not constitute a violation of law, rule, or regulation for purposes of the Florida Private Sector Whist…

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Key Quotes

“a tangible employment action is conduct which constitutes a violation of law and is thus prohibited by the Whistleblower Act”

Establishes that sexual harassment resulting in tangible employment actions (firing) qualifies as a violation under the Whistleblower Act

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Facts & Procedural History

Underwood was employed as a drug sales representative by Rhone-Poulenc Rorer Pharmaceuticals. He alleged that his supervisor engaged in sexual harassm…

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Opinion of the Court
GEIGER, DWIGHT L., Associate Judge.

GEIGER, DWIGHT L., Associate Judge.

This is an appeal from a final summary judgment by the Circuit Court of Broward County in favor of Appellee Rhone-Pou-lenc Rorer Pharmaceuticals, Inc.,1 on claims by Appellant Michael Underwood for violations of the Florida Private Sector Whistleblower Act and the Florida Civil Rights Act2 while Mr. Underwood was employed by Rhone-Poulenc Rorer Pharmaceuticals as a drug sales representative.

The record shows that the claims are intertwined and that at least a portion of both claims state a cause of action; there also are substantial issues of fact concerning both claims. The summary judgment therefore must be reversed and the causes remanded.

Appellant makes two Private Sector Whistleblower Act claims, each charging a violation of the Act’s prohibition concerning retaliation against an employee for objecting to an activity, policy or practice which violates any law, rule or regulation. One Whistleblower claim alleges violations of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FDCA)3 and regulations implementing the FDCA which control advertising of prescription drugs.

Appellant claims Ap-pellee engaged through its employees, including his boss, in activities training him and requiring him to promote “off label” uses (uses other than those on the FDA label) for the drug Lovenox. He alleges that when he objected, he was sanctioned and ultimately feed. Although there does not appear to be any case law in Florida on point, in a very similar case, Long v. Rhone-Poulenc Rorer Pharmaceuticals, Inc., No. 3:98CV7037, 1999 WL 680867 (N.D.Ohio Feb.23, 1999), the Federal District Court ruled that FDCA regulations concerning drug labeling and manufacturers’ disseminating information about potential drug use other than that on FDCA labels are “guidances” and do not state public policy. That case interprets the Ohio Whistleblower statute and whether “off label” marketing of drugs is a violation of statute, ordinance or regulation. Although authority is sparse, we conclude that nothing in the FDCA actually prohibits manufacturers from promoting off-label uses.

The trial court was thus correct by ruling that Appellant’s first Whistleblower claim, if proven, is not a violation of law, rule or regulation envisioned by the wording in the Whistleblower Act.

Appellant’s second Whistleblower claim alleges retaliation and his ultimate firing after he complained about sexual harassment by his boss. He claims that this conduct violates sections 760.10(l)(a) and (7) of the Florida Civil Rights Act. Burlington Industries, Inc. v. Ellerth, 524 U.S. 742, 761, 118 S.Ct. 2257, 141 L.Ed.2d 633 (1998), states that sexual harassment is actionable against an employer as a civil rights violation if it results in a “tangible employment action” defined as an action which “constitutes a significant change in employment status, such as hiring, firing, failing to promote, reassignment with significantly different responsibilities, or a decision causing a significant change in benefits.” We conclude that a tangible employment action is conduct which constitutes a violation of law and is thus prohibited by the Whistleblower Act. The sexual harassment Whistleblower claim does state a cause of action, and that claim should not have been dismissed. Further, there is a substantial issue of fact shown by the record as to whether Appellant was sanctioned and ultimately fired for poor performance or because of improper discrimination. The summary judgment on this count should not have been granted. See Sempier v. Johnson & Higgins, 45 F. 3d 724 (3d Cir.1995).

Appellant’s Florida Civil Rights Act claim, as noted above, is intertwined with his Whistleblower Act claim and is for sexual harassment by his boss and retaliation when he rejected her advances. For the reasons stated above, we conclude that this claim also states a cause of action. There are likewise issues of fact on this claim.

For the above reasons, the judgment appealed is reversed and the cause remanded for further proceedings consistent with this opinion.

REVERSED and REMANDED.

STEVENSON and SHAHOOD, JJ., concur. .Rhone-Poulenc Rorer Pharmaceuticals, Inc., is now known as Aventis Pharmaceuticals Products, Inc. . These acts are sections 448.101-.105, Florida Statutes (1997), and sections 760.01-.il, Florida Statutes (1997), respectively.

. 21 U.S.C. § 301-397.


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Citator

Cited By

  • Rivera v. Torfino Enters., Inc., 914 So. 2d 1087 (Fla. 4th DCA 2005)
    …ms in the “overlap” retaliation scenario. In neither case did we. discuss the overlap or any exclusivity of remedy issue. In each case, we held that both FCRA and Whistleblower actions were stated. See Underwood v. Rhone-Poulenc Rorer Pharms., Inc., 890 So. 2d 429, 431 (Fla. 4th DCA 2004); Selim v. Pan Am. Airways Corp., 889 So. 2d 149, 161-62 (Fla. 4th DCA 2004). Torfino directs' us to a decision in Stin-nett v. Williamson County. Sheriffs Department, 858 S.W. 2d 573, 575-76 (Tex. App.1993), which interpret…
  • Jaimi Gerber v. Vincent's Men's Hairstyling, Inc., 57 So. 3d 935 (Fla. 4th DCA 2011)
    …ti-retaliatory provisions of both the Whistleblower’s Act and the Florida Civil Rights Act overlapped with each other and there was no reason for not harmonizing the statutes and giving effect to both); Underwood v. Rhone-Poulenc Rorer Pharm., Inc., 890 So. 2d 429, 431 (Fla. 4th DCA 2004) (reversing summary judgment and holding that allegations under the Whistleblower’s Act and the Florida Civil Rights Act were intertwined and that at least some of them stated a cause of action precluding summary judgment).…

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