The latest installment of American Horror Story was off to a screaming start with the premiere of Hotel. If you missed it, proceed with caution as this article contains some minor spoilers on the first episode. This season is set in a sprawling art deco hotel that manages to be both beautiful and frightening at the same time, much like its penthouse occupant, The Countess (played by Lady Gaga). From vampires (large and small) devouring hotel guests to The Addiction Demon crawling out of mattresses with a drill bit dildo, working in this hotel is not for the faint of heart. 
With so many terrifying secrets hidden in every room, it got me thinking that the person who is most in the know may actually be that creepy maid steaming bloody sheets in the hallway. She may not have the style of Gaga or Liz Taylor, but I bet she knows exactly where the bodies are buried. But what happens when that maid grows weary of steaming the gore out of those sheets and refuses to continue or (gasp!) she actually grows a conscience and decides to shed light on the hotel’s deep dark secrets?
A variety of laws protect employees who choose to “blow the whistle” on employer wrongdoing, and Hotel Cortez is certainly not lacking in the wrongdoing department. In addition to federal laws, many states have enacted laws protecting whistleblowers with some being quite broad in scope. Some courts have also carved out public policy exceptions to the employment at-will doctrine. In those states recognizing such a cause of action, the elements generally include: (1) a clear public policy existed and was manifested in a state or federal constitution, statute, administrative regulation, or in the common law; (2) dismissing employees under circumstances like those involved in the plaintiff’s dismissal would jeopardize the public policy; (3) plaintiff’s dismissal was motivated by conduct related to the public policy; and (4) the employer lacked an overriding legitimate business justification for the dismissal.
Something tells me that no court of law would ever see that maid’s case, and she may very well be the next in line to occupy those torture devices in the basement. For those of you who tuned in for the premiere, what did you find the most shocking? Rumor has it that the show will continue to draw from past seasons. Given the flashbacks, there is plenty of opportunity to see some of our old favorites checking in or checking out (possibly permanently). Who would you most like to have reappear in this season? Personally, I would love to see everyone’s favorite Chanel-clad Supreme Witch from Coven stride in and proclaim, “I’m Fiona Goode. I’m in charge everywhere.”
