• Qui Tam
  • SEC
  • CFTC
  • FCPA
  • Whistleblower Resources
  • FAQS
Subscribe
Donate
No Result
View All Result
Whistleblower Network News
The Truth at Any Cost.
Qui Tam, Compliance and Anti-Corruption News.
SIGN THE PETITION FOR NATIONAL WHISTLEBLOWER DAY IN 2023
Whistleblower Network News
  • Qui Tam
  • SEC
  • CFTC
  • FCPA
  • Whistleblower Resources
  • FAQS
Subscribe
Donate
No Result
View All Result
Whistleblower Network News
No Result
View All Result
Home Government

Developments in D.C. Housing Authority Whistleblower Complaint Case

Ana PopovichbyAna Popovich
September 18, 2020
in Government, News
Reading Time: 4 mins read
D.C. Housing Whistleblower
Share on TwitterShare on FacebookShare on LinkedInEmail

On July 29, former D.C. Housing Authority (DCHA) general counsel Chelsea Andrews filed a whistleblower lawsuit against DCHA Director Tyrone Garrett. The lawsuit alleges that she was fired for questioning the procurement and legitimacy of KN95 masks that DCHA purchased for staff members. Now, the Vice Chair of the DCHA Board of Commissioners, Franselene St. Jean, has been removed from her post. According to a Washington City Paper article, St. Jean alleges that her inquiry into Andrews’ whistleblower complaint resulted in her termination.

According to Andrews’ whistleblower lawsuit, she learned on April 15 that “DCHA sole sourced KN95 masks without following proper procurement rules and that the masks were purchased through a referral” by Garrett’s college roommate. Andrews claims she asked to see a picture of the masks but then received a call from Larry Williams, the DCHA’s Director of Property Management Operations and another personal friend of Garrett’s, “who was upset that she had requested a picture, and defensive about the masks being questioned.” At one point, Williams allegedly sent an email to Andrews and others with a photo of a Food and Drug Administration (FDA) “certification of authenticity” with the FDA logo on it. However, the FDA sent an email to the risk team members a day later saying that the mask vendor DCHA had purchased from was “not on the list of approved vendors” and that “the FDA did not issue registration certificates to medical device establishments,” according to the lawsuit.

Andrews alleges she was subjected to hostile treatment from both Williams and Garrett while she continued to question the masks’ legitimacy. She introduced a set of guidelines for future orders of masks on May 13 to team members . On May 21, she was “abruptly terminated, without cause, effective immediately,” with confusing communication implying Andrews should say she resigned, but Garrett stating to others that he had decided not to renew her contract, the lawsuit states. According to the lawsuit, Andrews is seeking $12 million as well as future pecuniary damages.

Support Whistleblower Network News

“The DC Housing Authority denies the allegations made in the lawsuit. Contrary to the assertions in the Andrews Complaint, its actions were appropriate and complied with all policies and procedures at the time of the alleged incident,” DCHA vice president of communications Jose Sousa told Washington City Paper in an article on August 12. “The DC Housing Authority has made, and will continue to make, the health and safety of our residents and employees a priority during this pandemic. DCHA will vigorously defend itself in the appropriate forum.”

When Franselene St. Jean, D.C. Housing Authority Board of Commissioners Vice Chair learned about the Andrews lawsuit on August 12, she immediately had further questions.

“‘I was like ‘What just happened here? What is going on?’” St. Jean told Washington City Paper in an article published this past week. “It was so disrespectful. There was no kind of communication to the board of commissioners. We are the 11 bosses of Tyrone Garrett. There was no communication, no conversations about it.” When St. Jean inquired with board chairman Neil Albert “to schedule an emergency meeting to commission could ask questions about the lawsuit,” Albert “resisted.”

According to the article, DCHA commissioners agreed on an emergency meeting set for August 25, but St. Jean was informed of her termination on August 21. She was allegedly told that “she would be removed because she no longer receives housing choice voucher payments, which is a requirement for the seat she occupied.” But St. Jean claims that her situation wasn’t new knowledge to her coworkers: “she hasn’t received voucher payments for the past two years.” St. Jean told the Washington City Paper: “Everybody in the Housing Authority knew that. It wasn’t like it just happened.”

St. Jean has since sent a letter to D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser and D.C. councilmembers asking for “reappointment to one of the upcoming vacant seats on the DCHA board.” Additionally, the article has listed several questions St. Jean still has for Garrett regarding Andrews’ whistleblower lawsuit, many pertaining to the truth of how the masks were procured.

Read the Washington City Paper article about Andrews’ whistleblower lawsuit.

Read the Washington City Paper article about St. Jean’s removal.

Previous Post

CFTC Rewards Whistleblower Who Exposed Ongoing Fraud

Next Post

SEC Examining Whistleblower Complaint Regarding Rio Tinto’s $6.8 Billion Copper Mining Project

Ana Popovich

Ana Popovich

Ana Popovich is a contributing editor with Whistleblower Network News, where she writes about breaking whistleblower news, healthcare fraud whistleblowers, and Covid-19 fraud whistleblowers. Ana has a B.A. in English from Georgetown University. While at Georgetown, she was the marketing chair of an affinity group and wrote content for the McDonough School of Business’ Business for Impact program. In 2018, Popovich was a public interest legal intern at the whistleblower law firm Kohn, Kohn and Colapinto. 

Next Post
Mining Whistleblower

SEC Examining Whistleblower Complaint Regarding Rio Tinto’s $6.8 Billion Copper Mining Project

Please login to join discussion

Receive Daily Alerts

Subscribe to receive daily breaking news and legislative developments sent to your inbox.

  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Most Popular

Change the Culture, Make National Whistleblower Day Permanent

Tell President Biden to “Finish the Job” for Whistleblowers

Whistleblower Advocates See Parallels to Enron in Silicon Valley Bank Collapse

Whistleblower Jóhannes Stefánsson Plans to Testify at Fishrot Trial in Namibia

WNN Exclusive Interview with Social Security Whistleblowers Sarah Carver and Jennifer Griffith — Part 1

Whistleblower Raised Concerns of Rodents, Spiders in Kitchen of Childcare Facility, Then Fired; OSHA Rules They Were Retaliated Against

Whistleblower Poll

Whistleblower Poll
Whistleblower Poll

Exclusive Marist Poll: Overwhelming Public Support Among Likely Voters For Increased Whistleblower Protections

byGeoff Schweller
October 6, 2020

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT

STAY INFORMED.
Subscribe to receive breaking whistleblower updates.

  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

About Us

  • About
  • Contact Us
  • Donate
  • Careers

Subscribe

  • Daily Mail
  • Follow us on Twitter
  • YouTube Channel

Contribute

  • Letter to the Editor
  • Submission Guidelines
  • Reprint Guidelines

Your Experience

  • Accessibility Statement
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Use

Help

  • The Whistleblowers Handbook
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Advertise
Whistleblower Network News

Whistleblower Network News is an independent online newspaper providing our readers with up-to-date information on whistleblowing. Our goal is to be the best source of information on important qui tam, anti-corruption, compliance, and whistleblower law developments. 

Submit an Article

Copyright © 2021, Whistleblower Network News. All Rights Reserved.

This Newspaper/Web Site is made available by the publisher for educational purposes only as well as to give you general information and a general understanding of the law, not to provide specific legal advice. By using this website, you understand that there is no attorney-client relationship between you and the Newspaper/Web Site publisher. The Newspaper/Web Site should not be used as a substitute for competent legal advice from a licensed professional attorney in your state.

SIGN THE PETITION FOR NATIONAL WHISTLEBLOWER DAY IN 2023
No Result
View All Result
  • Exclusives
  • Government
    • False Claims-Qui Tam
    • Federal Employees
    • Intelligence
  • Corporate
    • CFTC & Commodities
    • Dodd-Frank
    • IRS & Tax
    • SEC & Securities
  • Features
  • Legislation
  • International
    • Foreign Corruption
  • Rewards
  • Whistleblower of the Week
  • Environment & Climate
  • Opinion
  • Editorial
  • Employment
    • Sarbanes-Oxley Whistleblowers
    • Retaliation
    • OSHA
  • Media
    • Podcasts
    • Videos
    • Webinars
    • National Whistleblower Day
  • Whistleblower Poll
  • Whistleblower Resources
    • Frequently Asked Questions
    • Resources for Locating An Attorney
    • The New Whistleblowers Handbook
  • National Whistleblower Day ’23

Copyright © 2020, Whistleblower Network News. All Rights Reserved.

Become a Whistleblower Network News Subscriber

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password? Sign Up

Create New Account!

Fill the forms below to register

All fields are required. Subscribe to WNN

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Subscribe to WNN

Add New Playlist

Go to mobile version