An employee at Kennesaw State University in Kennesaw, Ga., contends in a whistelblower lawsuit that she is being harassed for coming forward about ethics violations by her supervisor.
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports that Tracy Nunn, who was an administrative assistant to Kennesaw State's executive director of culinary services, argues that the university's treatment of her violates the Georgia Whistleblower Protection Act.
The lawsuit alleges that without Nunn's knowledge, her supervisor Gary Coltek, director of culinary services, listed her as registered agent for a company that was being used to funnel money from dining vendors trying to gain favor with Coltek. Nunn reported the situation to university officials, and Coltek subsequently resigned.
In the aftermath of Nunn's whistleblowing, four high-level university employees were fired and longtime university president Dan Papp resigned.
"Ever since Ms. Nunn blew the whistle on the fraudulent and criminal schemes...Ms. Nunn has been treated reprehensibly and has suffered adversely from the retaliatory nature of the treatment she has received at work," the lawsuit contends.
The lawsuit says after Nunn came forward, the university did not conduct an evaluation of her job performance.
The suit asserts the school's actions are "characteristically retaliatory in nature and are the result of a coordinated and concerted effort on behalf of the administrator and directors of Kennesaw State University to make Ms. Nunn uncomfortable while at work and to effectively destroy Ms. Nunn's career."
Nunn continues to work at Kennesaw State, but has been stripped of most responsibilities, her lawyer says.