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Comment by ro_bit | Hacker News Reader

> On Sunday evening, the contractor told The Scanner that, while he was still upset about the supervisor's apparent silence — and that UC Berkeley had not hired his firm in months despite years of collaboration — it had been a relief in January to see the police at work.

Is there any law that covers the contractors against retaliation like this? It seems like there should be an investigation into the university for not reporting this to the police immediately, but the article doesn't mention anything. To me, the contractors didn't just report a suspicious death, but also are blowing the whistle on some negligence or even a coverup by the university.

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I don't understand that aspect though, anyone can report something to the police?

If I found human remains in suspicious circumstances I think I'd tell the police before my supervisor? If not for some reason, then I definitely would after supervisor's inaction, before the press?

I found that odd too, my first instinct would be to call the police. They did report it to the police before the press though, in January.

From the other side of the pond, I sometimes get the impression there's a lot of undocumented labour in US construction work (as probably anywhere), which might make a contractor more hesitant to contact police?

I did wonder about that, but then you wouldn't want the police looking around and probably asking you about it (as someone working there, or identified as the persom who found it) when your supervisor reported it either? Nor would you talk to the press about it (or report it later as GP pointed out did happen) probably?

You're likely correct. But based off the story there was no report filed at the time of the discovery. So it wouldn't be retaliation, as there is nothing to retaliate for.

The retaliation backfired on the supervisor who effectively silenced the contractors for months while they hoped he would bribe them with more jobs....

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