C4C

The Coalition For Change, Inc. (C4C)

P.O. Box 142 Washington DC 20044 Tanya Ward Jordan L.O.R., B,A., M.S. Founder Philip Taylor B.A., M.P.A. President Willie Berry B.S. Treasurer Michael Castelle, Sr. Diversity Chair

March 20, 2013

President Barack Obama 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W. Washington, D.C. 20500 Dear President Obama: The Coalition For Change, Inc. (C4C) writes to urge you, as head of the executive branch of government, to promote an end to unfairness, bullying and retaliation in the federal workplace. Towards this goal, we ask that you sign an executive order to mandate uniform discipline for public officials found guilty of violating the civil rights of federal employees or the public they are to faithfully serve. As you are aware, on May 15, 2002, Congress passed the Notification and Federal Anti-Discrimination and Retaliation (No FEAR) Act after hearing testimony that federal workforce abuse reduces government's ability to timely and adequately address vital public needs. No FEAR was intended to make federal managers and agencies more accountable when allegations of discrimination, retaliation, and harassment are made. Yet, eleven years after the passage of No FEAR, chronic problems of discrimination and retaliation against federal employees and the citizens they serve continue to escalate. Moreover, the administrations continued failure to impose discipline on public officials who commit civil rights violations cost taxpayers in the billions. Despite the passage of No FEAR, public officials continue to violate laws with impunity and without "consequences." Take the case of Craig Littlejohn, the chief information officer in the U.S. Department of Interiors solicitor's office who the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) found guilty of discrimination (Pierre v Salazar). Specifically, the EEOC ruled: Littlejohn engaged in this discriminatory behavior to adversely affect Complainants employment at the Agency because of Complaints race and in reprisal for his identifying Littlejohn as an alleged discriminating official in a prior EEO complaint. Two weeks after the EEOC ruled that Craig Littlejohn violated civil rights laws, Interior Department awarded Littlejohn a pay increase. As a part of our Unleash No FEAR campaign, C4C started a petition. We have garnered signatures from concerned citizens, civil rights groups and whistleblower organizations. The petition urges you, as the head of the executive branch, to address the toxic culture within the federal ranks that has permeated government from one administration to the other. The Republican led Congress and the Bush administration recognized and saw the need for addressing this culture. If the Republicans can address discrimination and retaliation, surely this Democratic administration can champion this issue.

David J. Grogan B.S. Social Media Chair

Dr. Keesha Kareem M.B.A., D.M. Advisory Committee Chair

Arthuretta Holmes-Martin B.S., M.S. Mental and Spiritual Well-being Chair

Paulette Taylor A.A., B.A. Civil Rights Chair

Diane Williams B.A., M.S., J.D. Legislative Research Chair

www.coaltion4change.org C4C@coalition4change.org 1-866-737-9783

Letter to President Obama from C4C Pg. 2

Our petition asks that you close the No FEAR loophole. By passing No FEAR, Congress sought to deter behavior that impedes organizational efficiency. Hence, they called for agencies to report discipline to Congress when federal officials discriminate. Plain language, however, calling for agencies to impose discipline for unlawful violations was unfortunately absent from the Act. For this reason, the perpetrator of unlawful acts rather than the victim maintains no fear. The perpetrator, who is afforded free defense attorneys, anonymity, and professional liability insurance, routinely remains in supervisory positions overseeing public policy and programs. Mr. President, when the government fails to safeguard its workforce (i.e., agents, analysts, marshals, military personnel) from harassing, discriminatory, retaliatory or bullying behavior it negatively impacts the overall health of civil servants. You have stated emphatically that putting a stop to bullying is a responsibility we all share. C4C agrees with your sentiment. We assert that the federal government should be the model of holding officials who abuse public office accountable not the protector of the perpetrator. Presently, however, the reality of bullying and other forms of harassing behavior in the federal workforce puts the public at risk. Prominently, civilian personnel, army personnel and veterans who report abuses within the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and the U.S. Department of Defense continue to experience harassment. Your urgent attention is being sought because civil servants function as Americas first line of defense when protecting our homeland. The EEOC is a federal agency created to end employment discrimination. However, the EEOC continues to be impotent in its ability to eradicate discrimination and retaliation in the federal workforce. The agency has no authority to issue discipline. Discipline is warranted to deter unlawful conduct by agency public officials who oversee vital federal programs. Notably, in a May 13, 2011 letter to C4C member Mr. Isaac Decatur the EEOC stated that the issues Mr. Decatur raised were preventive in nature. [Mr. Decatur proved discrimination against multiple Veterans Affairs officials.] The EEOC also stated that it could only order agencies to consider discipline. EEOC asserted that it had no authority to issue discipline. In closing, Mr. President we ask that you acknowledge our request for an Executive Order to address the lack of uniform and mandatory discipline within the federal sector for civil rights and whistleblower protection violations. We also ask that you visit our website at http://coalition4change.org/ and view our video: Unleash No FEAR. The video exposes the toxic federal culture that impedes the governments productivity, harms the well-being of U.S. citizens, and increases the cost to American taxpayers. | signed | Tanya Ward Jordan, Founder The Coalition For Change, Inc. (C4C)

cc. Representative Marsha L. Fudge, Chair Congressional Black Caucus