Kentucky Transportation Cabinet

Office of Public Affairs

For Immediate Release
April 23, 2008

Media contact: Chuck Wolfe
Chuck.Wolfe@ky.gov
502-564-3419

Commonwealth settles Transportation Cabinet ‘whistleblower’ case
Avoids trial over employee’s claim of retaliation in previous administration

FRANKFORT, Ky. – A lawsuit involving a Kentucky Transportation Cabinet employee has been settled.

Sarah Missy McCray filed the suit in 2005 against the Transportation Cabinet under the state’s Whistleblower Act, naming then-Transportation Secretary William Nighbert. McCray sought injunctive relief and compensatory and punitive damages on a claim that she was a victim of retaliation because she cooperated with an attorney general’s investigation of the previous administration.

“I am happy that we have reached an amicable resolution of this matter. I appreciate how difficult this has been for Ms. McCray and applaud her pursuit of justice. It’s no secret that many state employees were mistreated over the past four years,” said Gov. Steve Beshear. “This case is one of the most egregious examples of how many state workers came to work each day fearing for their jobs. It left us with the task of cleaning up the mess created by the previous administration.”

Under the settlement agreement, Ms. McCray will receive a lump-sum payment for damages and be reassigned to the Personnel Cabinet, where she will work on the Cabinet’s Innovation Project.

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