The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission’s (EEOC) Dallas office is investigating discrimination allegations against itself.
Over a dozen former and current EEOC Dallas employees claim they were mistreated in terms of promotions, discipline, and training opportunities, according to USA Today.
According to internal EEOC data obtained by the newspaper, workers in Texas filed over 7,100 racial discrimination claims with the Dallas office between 2015 and 2019. The office investigated and substantiated only 13 of those claims.
Charlotte A. Burrows, designated by President Joe Biden as chair of the EEOC on January 20, 2021, said she would get to the bottom of the concerns.
“And if there is a problem in any district or office across this agency, we will fix it,” she said.
Dallas District Director Belinda McCallister has affirmed her commitment to providing “a workplace free of discrimination or harassment.”
Yet, reportedly employees accused her of “facilitating harassment and discrimination.”
Some employees claimed that they were forced to resign. Many of the allegations were made by black employees who claimed the agency disciplined them for minor infractions such as parking tickets or addressing corporate attorneys by their first names.
Employees raised concerns with EEOC leaders, but the EEOC reportedly took no action. One investigator was reportedly chastised and suspended for using the hashtag #BlackLivesMatter in an email to a large group of coworkers. Another investigator, an openly gay war veteran, was allegedly fired just days after filing a discrimination complaint.
“We consider ourselves to be a model employer,” Martin Ebel, the EEOC’s director of field programs, told USA Today.
He added that he hoped no EEOC supervisors had retaliated against employees, but if it turned out to be true, he would punish those responsible. “It will not be acceptable,” he said.
“We take any allegation of workplace misconduct seriously and will investigate each one thoroughly and take disciplinary actions when appropriate,” said Chairwoman Burrows to USA Today.
During a May meeting with the Dallas staff, employees reportedly learned little about how the agency would address their concerns, but they apparently did receive veiled warnings about speaking with reporters.
“Each of you has the right to voice your opinion or your perspective with the media or any other advocacy group on an individual basis,” McCallister said. “However, you should remember that [headquarters] speaks on behalf of the agency.”
EEOC spokeswoman Jacinta Ma issued a statement following the May meeting noting that the commission does not have a policy prohibiting employees from speaking to the media about their work environment. Still, they cannot reveal classified information about cases or how they do their jobs.
Employees expressed dissatisfaction with the agency’s handling of the now-public internal strife to one another and USA Today after the meeting. The managers’ offer of a “virtual suggestion box” for reporting discrimination was described as patronizing, while others called the gathering a “waste of time” and “pure garbage.”
The EEOC stated that it will investigate the allegations detailed in the USA Today report and conduct a “climate assessment” of the Dallas office.
“Raise your complaint with the fox guarding the henhouse,” an employee told the newspaper about the agency’s internal complaint procedures.
This story was pitched to The Dallas Express by one of our readers. Do you have a story you think should be covered or a tip on breaking news? Submit your idea here.