James Reeder — ADJ11815716

James Reeder, a 46-year-old Associate Government Program Analyst with the California Department of Public Health, claimed a cumulative trauma psychiatric injury through April 24, 2018, based on his belief that he was retaliated against for exposing fraud and stress from a co-worker he feared might become an active shooter. QME Dr. O'Dowd ultimately apportioned causation as 49% pre-existing, 36% to the dissolution/transfer (retaliation), and 15% to safety concerns regarding the co-worker, concluding that industrial events were the predominant cause. The WCJ found applicant failed to meet his burden of proving the alleged retaliation was an 'actual event of employment,' relying on the credible testimony of Christine Nelson, who explained the legitimate business reasons for dissolving the unit and transferring applicant. The WCAB denied reconsideration, adopting and incorporating the WCJ's Report, and gave great weight to the WCJ's credibility determinations under Garza. The Board found no evidence of considerable substantiality warranting rejection of those determinations.