Whistleblower Verdict Against Globe University Stands, Says Minnesota Appeals Court

December 19, 2014, 12:00PM. By LAS Staff Writer

MINNEAPOLIS (Dec. 17, 2014) (Press Release)A Minnesota appellate court panel upheld a jury’s verdict ordering Globe University to pay $395,000 in compensatory damages to Heidi Weber, a former academic department head for the university. Weber sued Woodbury, Minn.-based Globe for firing her in retaliation for voicing concerns about deceptive trade practices by the university, including inaccurate information about transferability of credits and job placement.

The Court of Appeals affirmed that Weber’s former employer violated the Minnesota Whistleblower Act when it fired her from her job as dean of the school’s Medical Assisting program in April 2011. The appellate court’s opinion also denied Globe’s challenges to the admission of testimony by a former employee and student, and denied Globe’s claim that Weber’s closing argument prejudiced the jury. The court found that the verdict showed that the jury followed the court’s instructions and awarded damages appropriately.

“Obviously, we are very pleased with the results on appeal. Our client has been vindicated and that is what’s important,” said Clayton Halunen, an attorney at Minneapolis-based Halunen & Associates representing Weber in her legal dispute with Globe.

About Halunen & Associates

With offices in Minneapolis and Chicago, Halunen & Associates offers experienced legal representation to whistleblowers who challenge illegal corporate conduct as well as fraud against the government under the False Claims Act and other statutes. Halunen attorneys Clayton Halunen and Susan Coler represented a whistleblower in one of the largest pharmaceutical recoveries under the False Claims Act - $1.5 billion. For more information, visit our Whistleblower website. For information on Halunen & Associates, visit the firm’s website at halunenlaw.com.