The law cannot replace morality. It can only provide enforceable standards. For victims, enforcing these standards comes at a price. Exercising one’s ethics has never been easy. For many survivors of abuse and institutional corruption speaking up can cost a job, degree or career.
Within institutions loyalty often replaces ethics. Our society is structured to prevent the average person from being able to express their disagreement with power. As a result, it has become abnormal to report a powerful person or to refuse an order: To speak the word “No” to power.
However, our legal system provides the average person with the means to challenge authority. When done correctly, whistleblowing strengthens democracy and can lead to real change.
Whistelblowing works. Headlines show that it is now occurring in every major institution in the world. As a result, the culture of silence is changing. We are beginning to recognize, admire and encourage individuals who speak-up and speak-out. Individuals who have done so have created positive change that leaders and politicians can only dream about. We have seen this first-hand, in the Nassar scandal.
The best time to speak with a lawyer is before you report. Despite the legal protections available, there remain potential devastating personal and financial consequences for those who choose to do the right thing. At Grewal Law, we are a group of experienced attorneys who know what to do and can give advice based on experience. Some of us have been down the whistleblower path ourselves. If you have information about organizational corruption, are a potential whistleblower, or need information about how the law can protect you, please feel free to contact us and I would be happy to speak with you.