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A lawsuit filed by a former Yuba County employee says he discovered asbestos problems in the county courthouse, told state regulators about them, and was laid-off in retaliation for whistle-blowing. The federal suit, filed by Marysville attorney David Collins on behalf of former county maintenance worker Billy Wilden Sr., asks for lost wages as a result of Wilden’s termination in June 2010 as well as punitive damages and other costs. “He’d really like to see the asbestos situation really cleaned up,” Collins said of what his client hopes the suit will accomplish. “It’s pretty clear he did go through all regular county channels first.” In June 2009, according to the suit, a contractor working with the county told the county’s Administrative Services Office about asbestos insulation around pipes in the courthouse’s boiler room. After another employee told Wilden about being asked to remove the asbestos without proper training, Wilden raised the issue with other administrative services staff. When the official who had ordered the asbestos removal found out, he began a pattern of harassment against Wilden, according to the suit. In September 2009, Wilden informed the California division of Occupational Safety and Health about the asbestos problems, leading to a series of Cal-OSHA fines in January 2010 against the county totaling $11,500. Copies of the fine notices included with the suit list five of the violations, with $2,000 fines each, as serious, though they note the violations were corrected. all the notices refer to the courthouse’s boiler room and none suggest the vast majority of courthouse visitors or employees were exposed to the asbestos, a known carcinogen. Officials with Cal-OSHA could not confirm whether the fines had been paid or whether violations for asbestos are particularly unusual. The suit states Wilden was laid off as of July 1, 2010, with county officials giving budget cuts as the reason. Yuba County issued 22 layoff notices in June 2010. The county, the Administrative Services Office and several officials in the office are listed as defendants in the suit. “As a proximate result of Defendants’ conduct, Plaintiff has sustained and continues to sustain substantial losses in his earnings and other employment benefits and continues to suffer humiliation, emotional distress, and mental and physical pain and anguish, all to his damage in a sum according to proof,” the suit states. Yuba County spokesman Russ Brown said the county would have no comment on pending litigation, citing county policy. Collins said the suit, filed last week in U.S. District Court in Sacramento, has not yet been served to all parties. CONTACT reporter Ben van der Meer at 749-4786. Tags: administrative services office, asbestos, asbestos insulation, asbestos problems, cal osha, June, Laid, osha fines, result, retaliation