On April 12, 2013, the National Whistleblower Center filed an Amicus Curiae brief with the Merit Systems Protection Board (MSPB), in the case of King v. Department of the Air Force. At issue is whether the provision of the Whistleblower Protection Enhancement Act of 2012 (“WPEA”) regarding compensatory damages applies to all current cases pending before the MSPB. The MSPB requested stakeholders to file briefs on the issue as they did in Day v. Department of Homeland Security.
In its brief, the NWC again strongly urged the MSPB to retroactively apply the WPEA to all pending cases. The MSPB’s decision will impact the fate of federal employees and whistleblowers that filed claims or suffered retaliation before the WEPA was signed into law on November 27, 2012.
Stephen M. Kohn, Executive Director of the NWC, said, “it is unequivocal that the intent of Congress was to apply the WPEA, including the provision on compensatory damages, to all pending cases retroactively.”
The NWC’s brief can be viewed here.