Breaking: 12 Women File Class Action Against USDA And President Obama

USDA, FOREST SERVICE WOMEN FILE DISCRIMINATION

COMPLAINTS AGAINST AGRICULTURE SECRETARY TOM VILSACK AND PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA

In October 2012 twelve women employed at the US Department of Agriculture filed complaints of discrimination against Secretary Tom Vilsack and President Barack Obama. The women who work in the USDA Forest Service filed complaints of harassment and discrimination based on their gender. Included in the complaints are women who also raise issues of race and disability discrimination. In October 2011 the USDA Coalition of Minority Employees including Lesa Donnelly, The Coalition’s Vice President and women’s representative met with Secretary Vilsack and his staff to discuss the widespread civil rights violations. He personally apologized for his staff’s failure to address issues of discrimination and workplace violence. However, he has taken little-to-no action to correct the problems or hold the perpetrators accountable. He has not spoken out against the retaliation that these women have suffered due to their openly addressing the many abuses.  Almost all of the twelve women have spoken personally to the Secretary’s staff.  Starting in May 2011 the Coalition brought their concerns to the White House. Ms. Donnelly sent letters to President Obama and emails to his staff, including Aide to Domestic Affairs Advisor Valerie Jarrett. She also communicated with Michael Blake, Aide to Valerie Jarrett. Mr. Blake told The Coalition, “We hear your words and take them seriously.” However, the White House has been non-responsive to The Coalition and the women’s pleas for help regarding incidents of job discrimination, sexual assault, attempted rape, workplace violence, violations of the Lilly Ledbetter Act, and the retaliation for reporting it. “Women are suffering financially, physically and emotionally from the Administration’s failure to stop the abuse and hold abusers accountable,” said Lesa Donnelly. By filing these complaints against the Obama Administration the women are holding the Administration responsible for not protecting them from these widespread civil/human rights violations and allowing the abuses to continue.

Many of these women came to Washington, DC in October 2011, and then again in May 2012 for the sole purpose of participating in a Whistleblower Summit on Capitol Hill. They came to tell their stories about how they were abused at the hands of top managers and political appointees at the US Department of Agriculture. The Group was maligned, and shockingly accused of having a partisan political agenda and being aligned with the so-called right wing politicals. “Nothing could be further from the truth. These were field-level Forest Service employees trying to obtain dignity and respect,” said Lesa Donnelly. The welcome they received on Capitol Hill in their quest to pursue truth and justice was unacceptable. As citizens and taxpayers they should have been accorded the courtesy accorded others. This lack of common courtesy to citizens seeking justice is an indication of the lack of concern some of our leaders have for American citizens. They do this since they are immune from being held accountable. America’s leaders and USDA’s leaders do not care about the level of abuse suffered by these women (or any other employees) who were compelled to use the little money they had to come to Washington, DC to seek justice.

Members of the Obama Administration (elected and appointed) should not be held to lower standards than members of past administrations both Democratic and Republican. Those in Washington and USDA continue to be interested only in protecting and enriching themselves and their friends. Lesa Donnelly announced, “There is a War on Women at USDA and the White House refuses to address it.”

The White House, mainstream news media, the Congress (Republicans & Democrats), traditional civil rights organizations, and others have turned a deaf ear to the continued widespread discrimination & other abuses of women, minority employees, people with disabilities, and minority farmers. “Human & civil rights violations continue to increase at the U.S. Department of Agriculture, ‘The Last Plantation,’” said Lawrence Lucas.

“In the end, we will not remember the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends”       Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.