A forensic scientist at the Nassau County crime lab is suing the county and its medical examiner’s office, alleging she was wrongfully terminated after exposing unethical and improper practices, and discriminated against because of a perceived disability.
Robyn Fishkin, who worked at the lab from November 2012 until her firing on April 24, 2024, filed the federal lawsuit Nov. 21 in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York. Her attorney, Paul Bartels, said the complaint alleges violations of the Americans with Disabilities Act, New York State civil rights law, and Fishkin’s First Amendment rights to free speech and to petition the government.
Bartels did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
The suit claims that Fishkin’s participation in a 2021 investigation by the Nassau County Inspector General and the New York State Inspector General into alleged misconduct at the crime lab led to retaliation, including disciplinary actions, demotion, ostracization in the workplace, and ultimately, termination.
According to the complaint, Fishkin provided information during the investigation about what she believed to be illegal and unethical activity, including “misuse of government funds and improper, unlawful, and inaccurate revisions of scientific findings to fit the political agendas of the defendants.”
The complaint also mentions a cover-up of a 2005 sexual assault case in which the suspect was later convicted of a high-profile homicide in 2006.
Fishkin, who held the position of “forensic scientist III” in the lab’s latent print section, was the most senior analyst assigned to casework.
The complaint alleges that after cooperating with inspectors general, she was subjected to harassment, threats, and professional exclusion. She claims management improperly delayed her promotion, disciplined her without providing specific allegations, and removed her from casework duties.
The lawsuit details several incidents of alleged intimidation and retaliation.
In May 2023, two anonymous Nassau County investigators reportedly went to Fishkin’s private residence in Suffolk County, taped an unmarked envelope containing a letter to her door, and engaged in “aggressive posturing and profane language,” according to the complaint.
Fishkin was also reportedly threatened with termination in a May 11, 2023 letter, according to the suit.
In addition, the lawsuit claims the county accessed her mental health records after she was no longer an employee, in violation of privacy protections. Fishkin alleges that county officials disciplined her, restricted her access to meetings with legal counsel and union representatives, and ostracized her at workplace events.
The complaint also details of instances of workplace hostility, including allegations that a supervisor minimized a life-threatening allergic reaction.
Fishkin said another employee told her she could have been killed after being served shrimp at a lunch despite her allergy, and a supervisor reportedly replied “good” according to the suit.
Fishkin alleges that her initial disciplinary action in May 2022 for “improper data access” did not include specifics, and that lab management informed her she could be terminated for any additional alleged infractions. Around the same time, the lab director reportedly filed a report to the Nassau County District Attorney’s Office that contained what Fishkin claims were inaccurate accusations of malfeasance, calling her integrity into question.
The suit seeks at least $100,000 in damages for lost earnings, bonuses, pension benefits, health benefits, and other employment benefits, as well as compensation for emotional distress resulting from the alleged discrimination and retaliation.
Fishkin’s complaint also cites a long history of dysfunction at the Nassau County crime lab. In 2006, the lab was placed on probation after inspectors found multiple violations, including improper drug labeling and inadequately trained technicians. The lab was closed in 2011 following reports of inaccurate drug testing that led to higher-level charges for dozens of defendants and later regained accreditation in 2013.
The lawsuit describes the timeline of retaliation, beginning in March 2022, when Fishkin’s promotion to senior analyst was reportedly delayed.
She was awarded the promotion and a $103 raise after filing a grievance, but the effective date was not backdated. In May 2022, she was disciplined for alleged data access issues, and the lab reportedly filed inaccurate reports questioning her integrity.
By the summer of 2022, she claims she was continually denied work assignments, demoted, and excluded from workplace events.
Fishkin had filed a prior suit in Nassau Supreme Court in August 2023 alleging whistleblower retaliation. On Sept. 25, 2024, she filed a charge with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.
After responses from the county and Fishkin, the EEOC issued a Determination and Notice of Rights letter on Aug. 25, giving her the right to pursue litigation.
Neither the Nassau County District Attorney’s Office, the county medical examiner, nor the inspectors general offices commented on the lawsuit.
The federal complaint highlights the alleged misuse of scientific data, inappropriate disciplinary actions, harassment, and disability discrimination, raising questions about both workplace culture and the integrity of forensic practices at the Nassau County crime lab.
