A new federal ruling says the Utah Transit Authority illegally fired a transit planner for warning the agency that it was violating safety rules.
U.S. Department of Labor Administrative Law Judge Lee Romero Jr. issued the order Aug. 13, requiring the authority to reinstate J. Michael Clara to his former position and pay him back wages, as well as $10,000 in compensatory damages.
Clara, who says he was fired because he was a whistleblower, says he believes that adds up to some $300,000.
Clara, now a community organizer for Crossroads Urban Center, says he's not sure he wants to return to the authority, after being fired for "job abandonment" because he returned to work after a vacation later than originally scheduled.
Authority spokesman Carl Arky says the agency is "disappointed" with the judge's decision and it could be appealed.
