A former North Dakota Workers' Compensation executive is suing his former agency.

James Long says he was illegally fired last March for helping an investigation into alleged criminal behavior at North Dakota's Workforce Safety and Insurance agency.

WSI's board of directors say Long was fired as part of a reorganization of the agency's upper management.

Long is seeking at least $50,000 in damages and two years' worth of back pay and benefits.

Last October, Long asked for whistleblower protection under a state law that bans retaliation against employees who report possible wrongdoing on the job.

Former WSI fraud investigator Todd Flanagan has filed a similar lawsuit. He was fired last December.