Court Opinion

ID: 9792935
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-31 02:39:41.158426+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T08:01:50.863439
License: Public Domain

Lewis, J.,
concurring: I concur with the majority opinion. I write this concurring opinion because I am logically and intellectually inclined to the dissent of Chief Judge Briscoe.
I reluctantly become a part of the majority because of what I perceive to be the law of Palmer v. Brown, 242 Kan. 893, 752 P.2d 685 (1988). In that opinion, our Supreme Court has said, it appears to me, that whistle-blowing may be shown by proof that the infraction was reported in-house to company management. In this case, the evidence indicates that the only place Kay *213reported infractions was to the management of Allen Freight Lines, Inc. Since I believe this amounts to “whistle-blowing” under Palmer, I feel I am required to follow that decision and vote to affirm.
I disagree with the language in Palmer which suggests that “whistle-blowing” may take place if an infraction is reported to company management. “Whistle-blowing” has traditionally been viewed as an act in which the reporting party reports illegal or unsafe practices to an outstanding enforcement agency. It is justified by the theory that such reports favor public policy, safety, and well-being and should not be punished. It is difficult to see the same benefit to the public when the complaints do not reach anyone outside of the business for which tbe “whistle-blower” works.
I view the extension of the tort of “whistle-blowing” to in-house complaints as illogical. It appears to me to expand this tort far beyond what it was ever intended to be.
It is possible that I have misread Palmer and it does not support the majority decision. This is an issue which should be clarified by our Supreme Court. I would urge that court to return to the question and to use this appeal as a vehicle for clarification and refinement. These facts provide the perfect chance to clarify Palmer, and it is my hope that the court will do so.