A federal jury has awarded $615,000 to a former Piedmont University biology professor, represented by Attorney Julie Oinonen of Williams Oinonen LLC and co-counsel Matt Billips of Barrett & Farahany, in a wrongful termination case alleging retaliation, breach of contract, and bad faith.
Dr. Wainberg, who taught at Piedmont for 30 years, alleged the college fired him in 2018 for speaking out against what he described as “violations of academic integrity.” The lawsuit claimed he was denied due process, excluded from key portions of his termination hearing, and that exculpatory student testimony was withheld from the Board.
He also alleged the college encouraged a Title IX complaint from a student, which he consistently denied, and used it as a pretext for his firing, causing him financial hardship and loss of health coverage during a serious illness.
On August 29, Judge Mark Cohen denied the college’s motion to dismiss the bad faith claim, and the jury later ruled in Wainberg’s favor, opening the door for his legal team to pursue $2 million in attorneys’ fees.
Barrett & Farahany continues to represent employees and educators across Georgia in cases involving retaliation, wrongful termination, and workplace injustice.
