Higgins v. Pascack Valley Hospital

The opinion of the Court was delivered by

POLLOCK, J.

The primary issue is whether the Conscientious Employee Protection Act (CEPA), N.J.S.A. 34:19-1 to -8, prohibits an employer from retaliating against an employee who “blows the whistle” on a co-employee.

Plaintiff Josephine Higgins complained to her supervisors about misconduct by two of her co-employees, Bruce Contini and Peter Fromm. She argues that her employer, Pascack Valley Hospital (“the Hospital”) retaliated against her by temporarily transferring her from the Hospital’s Mobile Intensive Care Unit (“MICU”), reducing her work hours,…