This Decision considers an Appeal of an Initial Agency Decision (IAD) issued on May 8, 2002, involving a Complaint filed by Susan Rice Gossett (Gossett or the Complainant) under the Department of Energy (DOE) Contractor Employee Protection Program, 10 C.F.R. Part 708. In her Complaint, Gossett claims that her former employer, the Safety and Ecology Company (SEC) terminated her as a retaliation for making disclosures that are protected under Part 708. 1/ In the IAD, the Hearing Officer determined that Gossett was entitled to relief. Susan Rice Gossett, 28 DOE ¶ 87,020, Case No. VBZ-0062 (2002). The instant determination will consider SEC’s appeal of the IAD. As set forth below, I have decided that the IAD should be sustained.
