$1.4M Settlement Against Corrections Department in Whistleblower Lawsuit

A former behavioral health chief who was fired by the state Corrections Department five years ago received more than $1 million earlier this year to settle her whistleblower lawsuit against the department, and stiff sanctions for concealing evidence may have led to the settlement.

Bianca McDermott filed a lawsuit against the Corrections Department in March 2017 in 1st Judicial District Court in Santa Fe, alleging that she was retaliated against and later fired for raising concerns about Corizon, the company that was providing medical services to inmates at the time.

The parties settled the lawsuit for a lump sum of $1.4 million in January, according to documents provided by the state General Services Department.

Read the source article at Albuquerque Journal