In July 2016, plaintiff Farshid Roumi, 36, a scientist, was terminated from the California Institute of Technology, where he had been working on a project to improve rechargeable batteries. Roumi had received a grant from the Department of Energy to develop an S-cell battery and, in 2015, agreed to transfer the funding from a company he co-founded, Parthian Energy LLC, to Caltech after Roumi spoke with a Caltech professor, Michael Hoffman. Roumi also agreed to stay at the school to work on the S-cell battery project instead of leaving to work at his own company. Roumi claimed that he soon learned that two researchers hired by Caltech to work with him on the project were working on unrelated projects under the direction of Hoffman. Roumi claimed that he complained to Caltech that the assistants were being paid with federal money intended to be used for the S-cell battery project, and not to help Hoffman with other projects, but that instead of addressing his complaints, the school retaliated against him. Roumi was ultimately terminated from the school in July 2016 after his project was delayed, and his lab was closed. Roumi and Parthian Energy sued Caltech and Hoffman, alleging that the defendants’ actions constituted whistleblower retaliation. Plaintiff’s counsel contended that after Roumi complained that Hoffman was misappropriating funds by having two assistants work on unrelated projects, Caltech harassed Roumi, barred Roumi from his own lab and withheld financial information Roumi needed to complete a budget renewal application on time. Counsel contended that, as a result, Roumi’s project was delayed and put off, resulting in the project being shut down and ultimately leading to Roumi’s termination. Defense counsel denied there was any retaliation against Roumi, and contended that three Caltech investigations into Roumi’s complaints did not find any misrepresentation, misappropriation or retaliation. Counsel argued that Roumi was afforded every opportunity to complete his work, but that Roumi would spend weeks at a time away from his lab, miss deadlines and micromanage his team. Counsel also argued that Caltech did not withhold any financial information from Roumi, and presented emails from school officials to Roumi asking Roumi to come in to discuss financial information, but that Roumi never responded to them. Defense counsel further argued that Roumi’s project goals were impractical and that even after his dismissal, Roumi had not completed the project himself. Counsel contended that, ultimately, Roumi and others lost their positions due to a loss of funding., Roumi was an emigrant from Iran who was a doctoral candidate at Caltech between 2004 and 2010. He then worked as a postdoctoral scholar from 2010 until 2014. During that time, in 2012, he co-founded Parthian Energy. Roumi claimed that his termination from Caltech in 2016 damaged his reputation and caused him to suffer a loss of income. Roumi sought recovery of lost earnings, and damages for his past and future emotional pain and suffering as a result of his reputation allegedly being ruined.