Whistleblowing and the Engineer: Legal Protections and Moral Obligations

Course Description

Licensed engineers play a vital role in protecting the public. You are trusted not just for your technical skill, but also for your judgment and integrity. But what happens when you discover something unsafe, unethical, or illegal on a project?

This course explores the complex decisions engineers face when speaking out against wrongdoing. Through real case studies, including the Boeing 737 MAX disasters and the Surfside condominium collapse, you will examine what can go wrong when concerns are ignored and what protections exist for those who raise them.

You will better understand the legal protections available to engineers who report safety or ethical violations. You will also explore the professional codes of conduct that define your ethical responsibilities. You will learn to recognize warning signs in engineering projects and make sound decisions when facing difficult ethical choices.

Learning Objectives

1. Identify legal protections and reporting procedures available to engineers who observe unsafe, unethical, or unlawful practices, using examples from federal and state whistleblower laws.

2. Analyze ethical dilemmas using the NSPE Code of Ethics and state board rules to determine alignment with professional and licensure standards.

3. Evaluate real-world case studies (e.g., Boeing 737 MAX, Surfside condominium collapse) to recognize early warning signs of negligence, safety violations, or ethical breakdowns.

4. Apply a structured decision-making framework to engineering scenarios involving conflicting legal, ethical, and project demands, demonstrating approaches that uphold the duty to protect public welfare.