VERO BEACH — An Indian River County judge has dismissed a retaliation lawsuit filed by Vero Beach Police Lt. Daniel Cook against the City of Vero Beach, ruling that Cook failed to establish a claim under Florida’s Whistle-blower’s Act.
In a final summary judgment entered June 3, Circuit Judge Robert E. Meadows granted the city’s motion for summary judgment and dismissed Cook’s complaint with prejudice, ending the case at the trial court level.
Cook, a Vero Beach police officer since 1989 who was promoted to lieutenant in 2001, alleged that city officials retaliated against him after he reported concerns involving Police Chief David Currey and what he described as a hostile work environment. The lawsuit was brought under Florida’s Whistle-blower’s Act, which protects public employees from retaliation for certain disclosures of misconduct…