VAUGHN USHER, APPELLANT,
v.
NIPRO DIABETES SYSTEMS, INC., AND NIPRO MEDICAL CORPORATION, APPELLEES

Fla. 4th DCA | 2016-02-24
No. 4D14-4766
WARNER and LEVINE, JJ., concur.., GROSS, J., concurs specially with opinion.
184 So. 3d 1260 Florida District Court of Appeal, Fourth District (2016) Positive Treatment
Cited by 2 cases

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Synopsis

Vaughn Usher appealed the dismissal of his whistleblower and age discrimination complaints against his former employer, Nipro Diabetes Systems. The Fourth District Court of Appeal reversed, finding that Usher's pleadings adequately stated claims under Florida's whistleblower statute and the Florida Civil Rights Act of 1992.


Holding

Usher stated a claim under the whistleblower statute by pleading that he objected to illegal activities (FDA violations), suffered an adverse employment action (termination), and that the action was causally linked to his objection. Usher also stated a claim for age discrimination by pleading that he was over 40, was the oldest engineer, was qualified for his position, and received discriminatory comments from his supervisor.


Headnotes

[1] A complaint sufficiently states a cause of action under Florida's whistleblower statute when it alleges an objection to an employer's illegal activity, an adverse employm…

[2] Allegations of violations of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act, coupled with claims of non-compliance with FDA requirements and adverse employment action, may stat…

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Key Quotes

“Section 448.102(3), Florida Statutes (2009) precludes an employer from taking "any retaliatory personnel action against an employee because the employee has objected to, or refused to participate in, any activity, policy, or practice of the employer which is in violation of a law, rule, or regulation."”

Establishes the statutory basis for whistleblower protection claims in Florida

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Facts & Procedural History

Usher was employed as an engineer at Nipro Diabetes Systems, which manufactured insulin pumps. Usher objected to alleged violations of the Federal Foo…

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Opinion of the Court
PER CURIAM.

PER CURIAM.

We reverse the order dismissing Vaughn Usher’s various complaints with prejudice for failure to state causes of action. The pleadings attempted to state claims under Florida’s whistleblower act and for age discrimination under Florida’s Civil Rights Act of 1992.

Section 448.102(3), Florida Statutes (2009) precludes an employer from taking “any retaliatory personnel action against an employee because the employee has objected to, or refused to participate in, any activity, policy, or practice of the employer which is in violation of a law, rule, or regulation.” “ ‘Law, rule, or regulation’ includes any statute or ordinance or any rule or regulation adopted pursuant to any federal, state, or local statute-or ordinance applicable to the employer and pertaining to the business.” § 448.101(4), Fla. Stat. (2009).

To state a claim under the statute, Usher was required to plead “ ‘1) that [ ]he objected to or refused to participate in any *1262illegal activity, policy or practice of [Ni-pro]; -2)[]he suffered an adverse employment action; and 3) the adverse employment action was causally linked to h[is] objection, or refusal.’” Aery v. Wallace Lincoln-Mercury, LLC, 118 So.3d 904, 915 (Fla. 4th DCA 2013) (quoting Gleason v. Roche Labs., Inc., 745 F.Supp.2d 1262, 1270 (M.D.Fla.2010)); see also Rivera v. Torfino Enters., Inc., 914 So.2d 1087, 1089 (Fla. 4th DCA 2005).

Usher’s complaint pleaded violations of • sections of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act with respect to the insulin pump appellee manufactured. Usher further' alleged that “documentation and testing was out of compliance with FDA requirements” 'and that all the products for sale were illegal “because documentation was ‘bogus’ in that the testing was not done as prescribed and the testing protocols were not properly validated.” His complaint cited relevant portions of the United States Code ,and the Code of Federal Regulations, Combined with allegations of the adverse employment action and the causal connection between Usher’s objections the adverse employment action, the complaint sufficiently stated a cause of action under the whistleblower statute.

We also find that Usher stated a claim under section 760.10(1)(a), Florida Statutes (2009). He pleaded that he was over 40 years of age, that at 54 he was appellee’s oldest engineer at the time of termination, that new hires were generally 10-20 years younger, and that he was qualified to do the job for which he was rejected. See, e.g., Kragor v. Takeda Pharm. Am., Inc., 702 F.3d 1304, 1308 (11th Cir.2012). He pleaded that, several months before his termination, his boss told him, “I don’t want any of those slow old guys around here any more.”

Reversed and remanded.

WARNER and LEVINE, JJ., concur..

GROSS, J., concurs specially with opinion.

GROSS, J.,

concurring specially.

At this point, it is not necessary that we reconsider language in Aery v. Wallace Lincoln-Mercury, LLC, 118 So.3d 904, 915 (Fla. 4th DCA 2013), that may conflict with the thoughtful analysis in Kearns v. Farmer Acquisition, Co., 157 So.3d 458 (Fla. 2d DCA 2015). Appellant’s complaint pleaded actual violations of Federal statutes and regulations.

Concurrence
GROSS, J.,

GROSS, J.,

concurring specially.

At this point, it is not necessary that we reconsider language in Aery v. Wallace Lincoln-Mercury, LLC, 118 So. 3d 904, 915 (Fla. 4th DCA 2013), that may conflict with the thoughtful analysis in Kearns v. Farmer Acquisition, Co., 157 So. 3d 458 (Fla. 2d DCA 2015). Appellant’s complaint pleaded actual violations of Federal statutes and regulations.


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