Nurse Loses Free-Speech Claim Against UCLA

LOS ANGELES (CN) - A nurse who worked at the UCLA hospital did not require an injunction to protect herself from retaliation as a whistleblower, a California appeals court ruled.

Mary Jones appealed her firing, stating that she was being punished for reporting unsafe and unsanitary conditions.

Jones said an injunction was necessary to keep UCLA from violating her free-speech rights by forcing her to submit her whistleblower complaint on a form that requires confidentiality.

Justice Cooper agreed with the university that Jones' complaint could have been handled by a sworn statement.

"Plaintiff failed to establish entitlement to an injunction," Cooper wrote. "Use of the form was not required to initiate a whistleblower retaliation complaint."

Subscribe to Closing Arguments

Sign up for new weekly newsletter Closing Arguments to get the latest about ongoing trials, major litigation and hot cases and rulings in courthouses around the U.S. and the world.

Email *

Submit