A former aquarium company employee will soon be able to speak freely about her experiences working there.
SeaQuest Holdings, LLC filed a lawsuit against a former employee, LaWanda Westbrook, alleging that Westbrook violated the company’s NDA agreement and encouraged other employees to do so. But lawyers representing Westbrook announced Thursday that they came to an agreement with the company to dismiss the lawsuit and release Westbrook from her NDA.
The announcement comes just a few weeks after SeaQuest filed for bankruptcy, with filings showing its revenues have decreased by over $12 million since 2022.
A raft of investigative journalism about SeaQuest locations across the country led to the shuttering of several of the hands-on aquarium facilities, as previously reported.
One of Westbrook’s attorneys, Steffen Seitz, said in a prepared statement, “that the public is increasingly uninterested in patronizing a business that exploits animals for profit is a welcome sign.”
“All of SeaQuest’s locations should be closed immediately and the animals should be released or rehomed to sanctuaries,” Seitz said. “Wild animals belong in their native habitats, not in shopping malls.”
An attorney for SeaQuest did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
SeaQuest, founded by brothers Vincent Covino and Ammon Covino in 2010, is headquartered in Idaho. The company operated an aquarium in Idaho, which later became the Aquarium of Idaho, and now operates under different ownership.
Ammon Covino served time in prison for conspiracy to bring illegally harvested wildlife to the Idaho Aquarium. He later violated his probation by interacting with fish and other wildlife while setting up aquariums in Nevada and Utah.
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In the lawsuit against Westbrook, the company alleged she disclosed company secrets, including animal care methods. But Westbrook and her attorneys denied the allegations, and argued that NDAs do not prohibit whistleblower disclosure of poor or illegal company practices.
In the prepared statement, Westbrook’s attorneys highlighted allegations of animal suffering and abuse across the country, including animals that were crushed by visitors, an octopus “cooked alive in its tank,” and an otter that died in a filtration system. Other allegations include that employees underfed animals in order to make them interested in food from visitors, and stored birds and other animals in their homes.
Allegations about enclosures at various facilities include reports of murky waters, algae blooms, black mold, and excessive excrement.
