Jenkins v. Golf Channel

714 So. 2d 558, 1998 WL 335789
CourtDistrict Court of Appeal of Florida
DecidedJune 26, 1998
Docket97-2049
StatusPublished
Cited by8 cases

This text of 714 So. 2d 558 (Jenkins v. Golf Channel) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court of Appeal of Florida primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Jenkins v. Golf Channel, 714 So. 2d 558, 1998 WL 335789 (Fla. Ct. App. 1998).

Opinion

714 So.2d 558 (1998)

Martin JENKINS, Appellant,
v.
The GOLF CHANNEL a/k/a, TGC, Inc., Appellee.

No. 97-2049.

District Court of Appeal of Florida, Fifth District.

June 26, 1998.

Keith R. Mitnik of Morgan, Colling & Gilbert, P.A., Orlando, for Appellant.

*559 Catherine Branning Rodriguez, Kimberly A. Wells, and Anthony J. Hall, of Jackson, Lewis, Schnitzler & Krupman, Orlando, for Appellee.

PER CURIAM.

Martin Jenkins appeals a final judgment dismissing his complaint against the Golf Channel, a/k/a, TGC, Inc., for failure to state a cause of action under Florida's Whistle Blower Protection Act, §§ 448.101, et seq., (1995). His complaint alleged that he was fired for having disclosed his fellow employees' acts of fraud, falsification of reports, plagiarism and sexual harassment.

Jenkins' amended complaint included the following allegations of TGC's activities:

7. The Plaintiff [Marty Jenkins] objected to and reported the Vice-President of production, MIKE WHELAN, after the plaintiff heard from two (2) female employees of the Defendant that MIKE WHELAN had masturbated in front of them ...
* * * * * *
C. MARTY JENKINS believed the activity of MIKE WHELAN to be illegal, and/or in violation of rules and regulations, and detrimental to these employees as well as to the company that was being exposed to legal actions for sexual harassment;
D. MARTY JENKINS felt compelled to report the activity and to object to it;
E. In late May, 1995, MARTY JENKINS reported the activity to his immediate supervisor, PAUL FARNSWORTH, the Coordinating Producer;
F. MARTY JENKINS insisted that PAUL FARNSWORTH report the activities of MIKE WHELAN to BOB GREENWAY, the Senior Vice President of programming and Production, or else MARTY JENKINS would report it directly to him;
G. MARTY JENKINS wanted to make a written report of the activity, but he was prohibited by his supervisor, PAUL FARNSWORTH, who instructed him not to make such a written report;
H. As a result of the report, no adequate or meaningful remedy occurred.
I. THE GOLF CHANNEL, by and through the above described actions of its employee and officer, MIKE WHELAN, was in violation of laws, rules and regulations including, but not limited to, Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and/or Florida Statutes § 760.10 for the sexual harassment of female employees;
8. The Plaintiff objected and refused to participate in the planned activities of MIKE WHELAN and PAUL FARNSWORTH to deceive vendors for personal gain, to wit:
A. MIKE WHELAN and PAUL FARNSWORTH instructed a camera crew to pretend filming for feature stories and/or advertisements on vendors or their products for the purpose of obtaining free equipment from these vendors such as expensive golf clubs. The crew was instructed not to actually film anything;...
* * * * * *
C. The Plaintiff, MARTY JENKINS, believed this conduct to be a violation of the law and/or rules and regulations;
D. The Plaintiff, MARTY JENKINS, objected to, refused to participate in, and reported the conduct of MIKE WHELAN and PAUL FARNSWORTH, to the Chief Financial Officer, JIM LOWERY;
E. The reported conduct violated laws, rules and regulations including, but not limited to, Florida Statutes § 501.201-501.204 (the Florida Deceptive and Unfair Trade Practices Act), 15 U.S.C. 45 (the Federal Trade Commission Act), the Uniform Commercial Code, F.S. § 817.03, § 817.05, § 817.15 (fraud), and/or Florida Statutes Chapter 895 (RICO);
9. The Plaintiff objected to and refused to participate in plagiarism on the part of THE GOLF CHANNEL, to wit:
A. PETER KESSLER was the "Talent" for the Master's series and was employed by THE GOLF CHANNEL. He was responsible for writing the scripts and performing them on camera;
*560 B. The Plaintiff was the producer of this series ...
C. The Plaintiff discovered that the scripts were verbatim plagiarism from books about the Master's Golf Tournament and believed this plagiarism to be in violation of the law, rules and/or regulations;
D. The Plaintiff reported the plagiarism to PAUL FARNSWORTH and MIKE WHELAN;
E. The shows had to be pulled from the air and re-done;
F. The plagiarism violated laws, rules and regulations including, but not limited to, federal copyright laws, including Title 17 of the United States Code.
10. The Plaintiff objected and refused to participate in efforts to falsify manpower and budget reports for the purpose of inflating productivity of the production department to an outside consultant, to wit:
A. The Plaintiff prepared accurate manpower and budget reports from the production department. PAUL FARNSWORTH requested he sign changed reports which falsely inflated the activity of the production department....
* * * * * *
C. The Plaintiff believed the reports were to be provided to an outside consultant who was evaluating the productivity of the various departments for the sale and/or financing of THE GOLF CHANNEL. The purpose was to falsely inflate the productivity and value of the company to enhance the opportunity of sale and profit.
D. The Plaintiff believed the submission of the falsified reports would be in violation of the law, rule or regulation, and refused to sign the changed and inflated reports;
E. The Plaintiff reported the incident to the Chief Financial Officer, JIM LOWERY, and to the Vice-President of Finance, DELL WOOD.
F. The falsification of such reports for use in the sale, financing or other outside evaluation of the company violates laws, rules and regulations including, but not limited to 15 USCS § 17(a) and 77 (Securities Act), Chapter 47 of the United States Code, Florida Statutes § 501.201-501.204 (the Florida Deceptive and Unfair Trade Practices Act), 15 U.S.C. 45 (the Federal Trade Commission Act).
11. The Plaintiff reported other violations of laws, rules and regulations of the Defendant committed by PAUL FARNSWORTH and MIKE WHELAN.

The Whistle Blower's Act provides in pertinent part:

448.102. Prohibitions.
An employer may not take any retaliatory personnel action against an employee because the employee has:
(1) Disclosed, or threatened to disclose, to any appropriate governmental agency, under oath, in writing, an activity, policy, or practice of the employer that is in violation of a law, rule, or regulation. However, this subsection does not apply unless the employee has, in writing, brought the activity, policy, or practice to the attention of a supervisor or the employer and has afforded the employer a reasonable opportunity to correct the activity, policy, or practice.

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Bluebook (online)
714 So. 2d 558, 1998 WL 335789, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/jenkins-v-golf-channel-fladistctapp-1998.