Opinion ID: 2620537
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Utah Whistleblower Protection

Text: Johnson argues that the City unlawfully retaliated against her for communicating suspected violations related to the animal shelter’s operations. The Utah Protection of Public Employees Act prohibits employers from taking adverse action against an employee who in good faith communicates a suspected violation of law, rule, or regulation. UTAH CODE ANN. § 67-21-3(1)(a)(ii) (West 2013). Johnson contends that the district court erred when it found that she did not establish a causal relationship between her communication to the newspaper about suspected violations and the City’s decision to outsource animal control. She argues the following evidence all support a causal connection: (1) the timing of the acceptance of bids to outsource animal control; (2) an email the mayor’s chief of staff sent to the City Council shortly after the article’s publication stating that Johnson was a “disgruntled employee” whose account to the newspaper was “strictly hers and is not accurate,” Aplt. Br. at 27 (internal quotation marks omitted); and (3) the “lack of consistent and persuasive reasons” for outsourcing animal control, id. at 54. Even assuming bias on the part of Fondaco and the mayor’s office, the problem for Johnson is that the decision to outsource animal control was ultimately made by the City Council. And there is no evidence, or even an allegation, that members of the City Council were biased against Johnson. Although Fondaco may -9- have played a role in the recommendation for outsourcing, there is no evidence that the City Council was unduly influenced by him. Nor is there sufficient evidence that the City Council was otherwise motivated to outsource animal control because of Johnson’s communication. While the decision may have been partially motivated by public relations concerns caused by the article, the evidence suggests it was as much an economic decision as anything else. Thus Johnson has not adequately established that the decision to outsource animal control was made to retaliate against her for her communication to the newspaper.