While there are many interesting and important whistleblower cases taking place in America right now, it is essential that we also take the time to look at the things that whistleblower around the world have been able to accomplish in the name of exposing corruption and pursuing justice.
A husband and wife team from Russia felt that the International Olympic Committee (IOC) betrayed them after they exposed state-sponsored doping in their home country. Yulia Stepanova is a runner who competes in the 800-meter event, and her husband Vitaly is a former anti-doping official. The couple had to flee Russia after they released information to international news outlets that helped to expose the systematic cheating that has been going on in Russia. Yulia has lots of experience with the Russian doping system because she took part in it for years before being banned from competition for two years. After she had served her ban, she and her husband decided to speak out about what was going on; they became whistleblowers. After the issue of Russian doping was exposed, Russia got suspended from participating in global track and field competition, and all but one of Russia’s Olympic track and field team members were excluded from competing in the Rio Olympics.
Yulia had applied to the IOC to compete at the Olympics as an independent athlete, but the Committee denied her application despite the recommendation of the International Association of Athletic Federations (IAAF) that she be allowed to compete as a neutral athlete. The IOC claims that her past doping case and other concerns supported their rejection of her application because she did not meet the ethical requirements that athletes must meet to be allowed to compete in the Olympics. The IOC did offer to bring the Stemanovas to the games to watch the competition as VIP guests, but the couple felt as though that was a bribe. The Stepanovas also felt that the IOC’s denial of Yulia’s application to compete in the Olympics was unfair, and they pursued the matter. Now, the IOC has agreed to give Yulia financial support so that she can continue her career as a runner. They have also decided to employ Vitaly as a consultant on the issue of doping control.
Barrett Law PLLC: Helping Mississippi Whistleblowers Fight the Good Fight
If you witnessed violations of federal law in your workplace and you exposed them, you did the right thing. Whistleblowers are sometimes the only way that corporate and institutional wrongdoing could be exposed because organizations have such tightly coordinated methods of hiding their wrongdoing from the public and from regulatory agencies and other organizations that uphold the laws. If you have suffered retaliation or harm after taking action as a whistleblower, the Mississippi Whistleblower Attorneys at Barrett Law PLLC could help you. Our attorneys understand the complexities of whistleblower law, and they can help you understand the whistleblower case process as they help you through it. Call the whistleblower protection attorneys at Barrett Law PLLC today at 1 (800) 707-9577 to set up a free, initial consultation.
