N.Y. State Finance Law § 191: Remedies

§ 191. Remedies. 1. Any current or former employee, contractor, or

agent of any private or public employer who is discharged, demoted,

suspended, threatened, harassed or in any other manner discriminated

against in the terms and conditions of employment, or otherwise harmed

or penalized by an employer, or a prospective employer, because of

lawful acts done by the employee, contractor, agent, or associated

others in furtherance of an action brought under this article or other

efforts to stop one or more violations of this article, shall be

entitled to all relief necessary to make the employee, contractor or

agent whole. Such relief shall include but not be limited to:

(a) an injunction to restrain continued discrimination;

(b) hiring, contracting or reinstatement to the position such person

would have had but for the discrimination or to an equivalent position;

(c) reinstatement of full fringe benefits and seniority rights;

(d) payment of two times back pay, plus interest; and

(e) compensation for any special damages sustained as a result of the

discrimination, including litigation costs and reasonable attorneys'

fees.

2. For purposes of this section, a "lawful act" shall include, but not

be limited to, obtaining or transmitting to the state, a local

government, a qui tam plaintiff, or private counsel solely employed to

investigate, potentially file, or file a cause of action under this

article, documents, data, correspondence, electronic mail, or any other

information, even though such act may violate a contract, employment

term, or duty owed to the employer or contractor, so long as the

possession and transmission of such documents are for the sole purpose

of furthering efforts to stop one or more violations of this article.

Nothing in this subdivision shall be interpreted to prevent any law

enforcement authority from bringing a civil or criminal action against

any person for violating any provision of law.

3. An employee, contractor or agent described in subdivision one of

this section may bring an action in the appropriate supreme court for

the relief provided in this section.