A whistleblower case has emerged in New Jersey, where an employee alleges wrongful termination after raising concerns about unsanitary living conditions provided by his employer. Angel Plaza filed a complaint on November 17, 2025, in the New Jersey District Court against Luminous Robotics, Inc., and several of its executives, including Jay Park, Zoe Zivalic, and Bob Boyd.
Angel Plaza’s lawsuit claims that he was wrongfully terminated from his position as a Deployment Engineer at Luminous Robotics after he reported substandard housing conditions during a work deployment to Boston. According to the complaint, Plaza discovered the company-provided apartment was uninhabitable upon arrival on August 1, 2025. The conditions included a pervasive foul odor and visible dirt and grime throughout the space. He immediately reported these issues to his supervisor Jay Park and other executives via email, attaching photographic evidence of the unsanitary conditions.
Despite acknowledging the issue and advising Plaza to find alternative lodging for the night, Luminous Robotics sent him back to New Jersey on August 2. Merely five days later, on August 6, Jay Park terminated Plaza’s employment citing “unpreparedness for a remote person” and “delayed deployments,” which Plaza contends were pretextual reasons masking retaliation for his complaint.
Plaza argues that his termination violated multiple laws including the New Jersey Conscientious Employee Protection Act (CEPA), Massachusetts Whistleblower Act, common law wrongful discharge principles in both states, and breach of contract regarding his employment offer letter. He asserts that these actions were retaliatory following his protected activity of reporting health and safety violations related to public policy mandates.
The plaintiff seeks compensatory damages for lost wages and benefits along with treble damages under Massachusetts law for emotional distress caused by his dismissal. Additionally, he requests punitive damages sufficient to deter future misconduct by Luminous Robotics. Plaza also demands reinstatement or equivalent position with full benefits as well as attorney’s fees and costs associated with this legal action.
Representing Angel Plaza is Marco Di Stefano from The Law Office of Marco Di Stefano, Esq., LLC. The case is presided over by an unspecified judge under Case ID: 2:25-cv-17616.
Source: 225cv17616_Plaza_v_Luminous_Robotics_Inc_Complaint_District_New_Jersey.pdf
