St. Lucie County Woman Files Wrongful Termination Suit Against St. Lucie County Humane Society
Cindy Wade, a former employee at the St. Lucie Humane Society, has filed a wrongful termination suit against the rescue shelter, only weeks after the St. Lucie Humane Society had been cleared of allegations of animal abuse.
Wade, a former veterinarian technician at the shelter, said she had witnessed many occurrences of animal cruelty by some of the employees at the shelter. The sheriff’s office has since conducted a full investigation and found no evidence supporting her claims.
She filed the wrongful termination law suit on Monday. The claim is that she was fired in December as a result of being a whistleblower. She had first reported the allegations to police in November, a month before her termination.
The director of shelter operations said he suspended Wade because of work-related issues and for making false allegations against the shelter — not for being " a whistle blower."
Wade is seeking more than $15,000 in damages and is also seeking reinstatement of her position at the shelter. The whistleblower lawyer is also seeking a court order that would stop the St. Lucie Humane Society from firing her in the future for a related cause.
Wade is quoted as saying "(The suit is) going to get them more exposure, "It's going to bring more attention to their needs. What I want most is the best quality of care they can get."
We will keep you informed as this case develops and further information becomes available.
