What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? Missouri
Hello, I was an IT guy and computer programmer for an online college which is accredited and recieves federal and state funding for its students. In April, I had come accross a major issue in the code of one of their websites that calculates all of our students grades, that I didn't actually program myself. All of their grades are weighted in a very specific way when they calculate their student's final overall grades. I had typed out a report outlining the math behind the issue and how it was miscalculating all of their final grades for every student by as much as 5% plus or minus the actual score. They decided to ignore the issue as I had outlined that changing the system would leave it in a position to be easily exposed. I had let this go on for a few more months till I proposed a new grading system to them which removes the weighting system and its various complexities that are causing a lot of confusion among students. They still ignored the issue and moved on without changing it. All together they have been using this grading system for over 2 and a half years now.
Well then they went behind my back and tried cutting my access to our system off today, because according to them they can't trust me. SO I decided to quit the company right then and there. I couldn't just walk out because my personal laptop and several of my personal hard drives all had sensitive data on it of theirs. I refused to leave the office without my laptop so we quickly got the data off of it and they signed a document agreeing to give my hard drives back when they we're done getting sensitive data off of them at a later date. Those hard drives contain all of my backup data and alot of my own personal information on them. While in the process of getting the data off my laptop I threatened to go public to their accreditors and funding sources with that information on it. They said to "just do it." They also had me sign some document stating that all their information was off my computer and on another line that said I wouldn't attempt to access any of their websites to gain any information. They tried getting me to sign a document that stated I intended to "sabotage" them as a company which I didn't sign.
I then immediately took my laptop and went home and recovered all of the deleted data off my laptop's hard drive which they didn't delete in such a way that was "unrecoverable." Once I did that I sent all of the information that was incriminating them on their miscalculation of grades to several safe and trusted places, which included database copies and all the system's scripts as well as the document that detailed how it worked and why it was off. I then made the mistake of sending a text to one of my coworkers that they didn't delete the data right, but didn't state that I ever recovered this information. I then received text messages from my boss stating he took a picture of the text and sent it to the police and lawyers and has gone and filed a police report on me for possessing my laptop. He also said the police we're going to come and seize my laptop.
I have reason to be very scared over what this company may try and do to me. They could go to any lengths to prevent this information from going public which I fully intend on doing. I am unsure of what kind of legal position I am in if they try and come after me. So I need someone's help who can tell me what I should do, and what they can and most likely will do to try and stop me.
Thank you for any assistance you can provide me.
Hello, I was an IT guy and computer programmer for an online college which is accredited and recieves federal and state funding for its students. In April, I had come accross a major issue in the code of one of their websites that calculates all of our students grades, that I didn't actually program myself. All of their grades are weighted in a very specific way when they calculate their student's final overall grades. I had typed out a report outlining the math behind the issue and how it was miscalculating all of their final grades for every student by as much as 5% plus or minus the actual score. They decided to ignore the issue as I had outlined that changing the system would leave it in a position to be easily exposed. I had let this go on for a few more months till I proposed a new grading system to them which removes the weighting system and its various complexities that are causing a lot of confusion among students. They still ignored the issue and moved on without changing it. All together they have been using this grading system for over 2 and a half years now.
Well then they went behind my back and tried cutting my access to our system off today, because according to them they can't trust me. SO I decided to quit the company right then and there. I couldn't just walk out because my personal laptop and several of my personal hard drives all had sensitive data on it of theirs. I refused to leave the office without my laptop so we quickly got the data off of it and they signed a document agreeing to give my hard drives back when they we're done getting sensitive data off of them at a later date. Those hard drives contain all of my backup data and alot of my own personal information on them. While in the process of getting the data off my laptop I threatened to go public to their accreditors and funding sources with that information on it. They said to "just do it." They also had me sign some document stating that all their information was off my computer and on another line that said I wouldn't attempt to access any of their websites to gain any information. They tried getting me to sign a document that stated I intended to "sabotage" them as a company which I didn't sign.
I then immediately took my laptop and went home and recovered all of the deleted data off my laptop's hard drive which they didn't delete in such a way that was "unrecoverable." Once I did that I sent all of the information that was incriminating them on their miscalculation of grades to several safe and trusted places, which included database copies and all the system's scripts as well as the document that detailed how it worked and why it was off. I then made the mistake of sending a text to one of my coworkers that they didn't delete the data right, but didn't state that I ever recovered this information. I then received text messages from my boss stating he took a picture of the text and sent it to the police and lawyers and has gone and filed a police report on me for possessing my laptop. He also said the police we're going to come and seize my laptop.
I have reason to be very scared over what this company may try and do to me. They could go to any lengths to prevent this information from going public which I fully intend on doing. I am unsure of what kind of legal position I am in if they try and come after me. So I need someone's help who can tell me what I should do, and what they can and most likely will do to try and stop me.
Thank you for any assistance you can provide me.
