AlienVault in legal spat with EMEA boss over alleged health and safety issues

Catherine Kelly claims to have been dismissed after reporting sewage leaks in Cork office and staff being locked in toilets for hours

AlienVault's EMEA vice president of sales, Catherine Kelly, is locked in a legal battle with the vendor following her dismissal, which her legal team claims was down to her blowing the whistle about blocked toilets and staff being locked in bathrooms for hours.

According to the Irish Examiner, Kelly was dismissed from the security vendor on 29 September following a report she made concerning health and safety issues at AlienVault's Cork office, where Kelly had worked since last year.

The issues Kelly raised included sewage leaks and people being locked in toilets for three hours, the report said.

AlienVault confirmed to CRN that Kelly has left the company but said it was unable to "comment on the specifics of pending litigation". CRN was awaiting a reply from the Cork Circuit Court when this story was published.

The Irish Examiner reports that Kelly alleged that when she told US management about the issues she was told they could not understand her "enthusiasm about facilities".

Kelly's appeal for an injunction was granted at Cork Circuit Court last week, which prevents the company dismissing Kelly or stopping her pay until the case has come to a conclusion.

This follows a string of complaints from former channel partners covered on CRN earlier this year, who said they had terminated their relationships with the vendor after AlienVault had repeatedly taken registered deals direct.

According to the Irish Examiner report, Kelly's counsel Mr Stewart said: "On 29 September she was dismissed over the phone. She worked out of the premises at Sidney Place and there were health and safety problems that she and others had. She was told over the phone, 'this is your last day at work, you are to leave and not come back'."

Counsel for AlienVault, Mary Paul Guinness, said: "The decision to terminate her employment was made a few days before she made the protected disclosure. The decision to terminate was made in advance of her approving that report."

When he approved the injunction, Judge Seán Ó Donnabháin said: "She has made out a stateable case that she was dismissed because of protected disclosure."