DNA specialist in Nassau Medical Examiner's Office subject of 'harassment and intimidation' after talking to investigators probing lab, court papers show

A former DNA analyst for the Nassau Medical Examiner's Office was fired and "subjected to a campaign of harassment and intimidation" because she participated in investigations of potentially illegal conduct by employees of the county’s crime lab, a federal lawsuit contends.

County officials first stripped Dana Spagnuolo of her job duties and then fired her in November 2024 because she participated in investigations into crime lab employees conducted by state and county inspectors general, the complaint filed in the Eastern District of New York said last week. The medical examiner oversees the crime lab.

The lawsuit said Nassau officials violated Spagnuolo’s First Amendment right to petition the government to redress grievances. Spagnuolo filed a complaint in Nassau Supreme Court in July 2023 that said county officials retaliated against her for engaging in protected whistleblowing activity. During the discovery process, the county’s attorneys requested documents related to a competency exam Spagnuolo had to take to return from maternity leave.

Spagnuolo, through her attorney, produced the documents — which county officials then said were confidential. She was fired on Nov. 14, 2024, after 19 years with the agency.

"What happened to Dana Spagnuolo is one of the most egregious cases of relation I have ever seen," said Spagnuolo’s employment attorney, Paul Bartels, of Syosset. "I’ve never had a client who was fired for filing litigation."

The state lawsuit is still pending, Bartels said. The federal lawsuit, which names Nassau County and the medical examiner’s office as defendants, seeks at least $2 million in damages.

"The defendants’ actions are particularly egregious in light of the defendants’ crucial role in the enforcement of county and state law," the lawsuit said. "Sadly, defendants and decision-makers believed themselves to be above the law and brandished the power of the state to ruthlessly punish plaintiff."

Chris Boyle, a spokesperson for Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman, did not return requests for comment.

The Nassau County crime lab has a history of dysfunction. It was placed on probation in 2006 after inspectors found serious violations, including improper drug-labeling procedures and technicians who were insufficiently trained, Newsday has reported.

The lab was closed in 2011 following reports of drug-testing inaccuracies that led to dozens of defendants facing more serious criminal charges than warranted. It regained its accreditation in 2013.

Spagnuolo’s lawsuit does not specify the illegal activities under investigation by the county and state inspectors general.

The complaint is similar to a federal lawsuit filed by forensic scientist Robyn Fishkin, who was fired by the county in April 2024. That lawsuit also names Nassau County and the medical examiner’s office as defendants.

Fishkin said in her lawsuit that she began cooperating with the Nassau inspector general in an investigation into potential illegal activity at the crime lab. Fishkin’s lawsuit said the alleged illegal activities include "the misuse of government funds and improper, unlawful, and inaccurate revisions of scientific findings to fit the political agendas of the defendants."

"In particular, there was a cover-up of an error from a 2005 sexual assault case where the suspect was later convicted of a 2006 high-profile homicide," the lawsuit states.